New Britain herald., 1928-01-21

!I1l s.ls (l.l s !!!gglsI 1 that time, between 10000 and 16,- | GOO vehicles were passing over the
 road each day, and the number was l increasing at the rate of 10 per cent
 each year. Traffic was being affect ! ed throughout Southern New Eng
 land. A demand developed for the i construction of a second road paral-
 Tel 10 and somewhat north of the 1 Post Road which would be limited i solely to passenger cars.
 In analysing the situation, High
 way Commissioner John A. Macdon- 1 aid, who had just taken office, de- 1 cided that the amount of time which
 would be consumed in determining i the proper location for a new route, in the acquisition of the necessary right of way. and in actual con-
 struction was so great that a new , road would be of little assistance for sometime to come. Moreover, by the time it was built, truck traffic , would undoubtedly have increased to
 such an extent that 1t would be ne-
 cessary to permit truck travel on both roads. The country north of the Post Road was rough and hilly. and
 would have made construction work extremely slow and difficult. The Post Road pavement was worn out and had to be rebuilt anyway. It could be reconstructed out of cur rent funds, whereas the cost of q
 new road would have undoubtedly
 required legislative appropriation.
 Consequently. Commissioner Mac donald decided upon the means that has been put into effect, namely
 doubling the width of the highway. He allocated out of current depart
 ment funds $1,ooo.00O a year to be
 used in reconstructing the post road. 1 The work of widening the road
 was begun in 1924 with 4. w. Bush- ell. Division Engineer. in charge of the reconstruction. Five miles of pavement were rebuilt to the double
 width In that year. the new pave ment being located in Greenwich, i Darien. and on Allingtown Hill in West Haven. Four miles more in Greenwich. Darien and Westnort were added in 1925. The longest stretch of road, the Milford Turn pike. and other sections in Fairfield and Westport aggregated 10 miles 1 more in 1926. Seven and one half
 miles of short stretches were rebuilt
 in 1927 in Fairfield. Westport, Nor
 walk, Stamford and Greenwich.
 There still remains to be recon- structed on the Post Road one mile
 on Armory Hill in Norwalk. two- tcnths of mile on Compo Hill in
 Westrort. and 1 3-f0 miles in De- von. Contracts for all of this work
 have already been let and will be completed in 1928. There .is also contemplated the construction of a
 cutoff one mile in length to elim- mate Deadman's Curve in Fairfield.
 and another of three miles to carry traffic north of Milford. 1928 will
 witness the completion of the entire
 32 miles of trunkline road which
 lies outside of the city limits along
 the 50 mile route between. New Hav-
 en and the New York State line.
 Total Cost May Be SG.OON. GOO The pavement used in doubling the width Of the famous highway ].
 mostly of reinforced concrete, al-
 though there are some stretches of
 sheet asphalt. The pavement itself measures from 36 to 40 feet in
 width while tho road including both pavement and shoulders varies from
 46 to 65 feet. The methods of con- Struction used were the most mod ern available and have been ador ted
 by many other states for similar types of highway work The cost of
 the new road after it has been con- pleted this year will run between s5 non. nNn and sG.no0 00n. all of
 which Commissioner Macdonald as
 been able to finance through the de- { rartment's regular sources of rev enue.
 Reconstruction Of the Post Road !, instead of the construction of q l parallel route, saved the state a | considerable amount of money. Ii saved the cost and legal difficulties of acquiring q new right of way saved tho stupendous expenditure ot cutting a new road bed through
 rough and hillv country, saved req 1 estate values In m"nv parts Of New
 Haven and Fairfield counties. and
 yet provided Immediate and long time r"lie' Of interstate cong. Son. During ifs 255 years Of ESto1-y inc Boston Post Road has evolved
 from 2 tSnelad maze of Indian trails ! 10 ono of the most fam ous and well | constrnctni highways in the world : Connecticut does well 10 honor its I birthday.