Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-30
100000 MILES OF GOOD
ROADS LURE MOTORISTS
Improved Highways Extending All Over Country
Beckon Tourists to Learn Their Scenic Beauties
as Springtime Fosters Wanderlust.

In an endless procession as the motor
list skins over a glistening expanse OF
pavement his thoughts are focused
no longer on costs or road types, but
only on the speculation as to the pas
, stability of the roadway beyond. He
wants more roads, better roads, roads
that are smooth, even and productive
of comfort at any speed, and roads
that have many qualifications. well
marked and conveniently routed.
For the car owner who awaits
anXiously the season when balmy
breezes will call him again to the
highways there is plentiful assurance
of better roads to travel. Statistics
those sometimes harsh but occasion
ally comforting facts that keep us
abreast of the timeS-indicate definite
progress in this direction. 1t has
taken the form of many miles of sur
faced thoroughfares. scattered in a
great many sections of the Nation and
intersperSed with several important
bridges and one outstanding vehicular
tunnel that aid the expediting of motor
traffic
Though road building progress, no
matter where it has taken place, sig
nifies progress to the car owner. it is
much like charity: 1t begins at home
even if it does not stay there. Every
motorist considers first the opportuni-
ties for using his car within COM
paratively short radius of his hearth.
To the Washingtonian, consequently.
such an accomplishment as the com
pletion of the so-called short route TO
Annapolis is an event Of the utmost
Importance. 1t has been under way
quite a while and got as far as a 5-mile
stretch about the center of the way
and so remained until the last six
months brought the completion of a
road that brings the capital city of
Maryland 9 miles closer to the Ma
tons Capital.
New Defense Highway.
The Defense Highway, as this newly
finished road is named, may be reached
either over the Bladensburg road or
Rhode Island avenue. On reaching
the Memorial Cross at Bladensburg,
the motorist may continue on his way
to Annapolis by turning to the right.
The entire road is all good pavement
and from the White House to down
town Annapolis the mileage is 1876.
The Defense Highway passes through
Lanham, Buena Vista, Collington and
Parole and connects with the usual
way to Baltimore through Laurel or
the Crane Highway, with two connec-
tons with Upper Marlboro. The De
Tense route, paved throughout, was
thrown open for it's length shortly be
fore the end of the year.
Another road of considerable conse-
quence to the Washington motorist is
the one to Richmond and the far
South. 1t is one well travelled vir-
tually the entire year. That it has
been improved and shortened, then,
should be good news for car owners
hereabouts. The newly paved stretch
between Fredericksburg and Rich
mond, distance of so miles, was open
for travel throughout it's length in Oc-
tober. This improved roadway, which
provides a route to the Virginia cap
ital shorter by 10 miles than formerly.
awaits the motor traveller who heads
southwark during 1927.
Looking farther afield, in the fash
ion of the tourist who is never con-
tent to stay always within close range
of his own garage, one finds a newly
opened road from Parkersburg, w.
Va, southwark to Charleston, which
opens up a new line of traffic to east
ern Pennsylvania and Ohio by way
of Parkersburg, Charleston, Bluefield,
w. Va; Bristol, Va.-Tenn., and Nash
vile, Tenn. This is hailed as one of
the most important additions to the
highway routes of this region. Before
its completion the automobilist from
Ohio or Eastern Pennsylvania went by
way of Hagerstown and continued his
journey southwark over the Dixie
Highway.
New Western Trails.
The records also show another nota-
bic accomplishment to the westward in
the opening of the new road from De
troit to Chicago through Coldwater,
Mich; Elkhart and South Bend, Ind
Bridge construction has been no less
notable than highway building. The
Philadelphia Camden vehicular bridge
was thrown open on July 4 last and
almost Immediately was thronged to
capacity. Ferries which 1t was intend
ed to supplant were obliged to con-
tinue. This huge structure, the larg-
est suspension span in the world,
which offers a continuous route
through the Quaker City to the Jer-
sey seaside resorts, has proved SO sue
cessful that two new toll bridges are
contemplated. The one is to connect
Philadelphia with the opposite Jersey
shore of the Delaware River.
The other will cross into Pennsyl-
vania from Palmyra, n. j. The sue
cess of the Bear Mountain Bridge
across across the Hudson below West
Point has influenced private capital to
launch another project at Pough-
keepsie. The main highway between
Cleveland and Toledo, west of San
dusky, Ohio, is to be bridged to effect
a saving of 20 miles.
OF outstanding importance to any
one travelling to New York and north
ward points is the assurance that the