New Britain herald., 1929-07-02
MACDONALD FINDS
 BERLIN ROAD 0. K.
Declines to Improve Detour Used
 When Underpass Floods

New Britain traffic cannot have a good detour through Berlin when the Berlin underpass fills up with water as it does almost everytime there is heavy rain, according to 8 communication received by the Chamber of Commerce. from John A. Macdonald state highway com missioner. New Britain motorists have fumed and fretted over the fact that there seems to be no satisfactory way to get through Berlin on rainy days except to take the long detour around Plainville and Southington through Meriden or via Hartford. The underpass near the Berlin station fills up with water until cars become stalled A clay road to the south which crosses the rail- road tracks, leads traffic back to the concrete road. This road is mar row. winding, has several dangerous curves, is extremely rough in spots an on rainy days when the under pass Is HI pdSooipIt, cloS pNNSiiiN' tfi- most equally impossible, it is said. Several requests have been made to Commissioner Macdonald to grade and surface the detour so that cars may proceed with safety from the time they leave the concrete road until they reach it beyond the rail- road tracks.
 nto,r iy,b ! Chamber of Commerce, upon re- quest of A. P. Marsh, secretary of the Connecticut Motor Truck asso- citation, recently communicated with Commissioner Macdonald asking what was being done about this road. Mir Marsh's complaint stated that it was impossible and not fit 10 drive on in wet weather
 Benson Writes to Macdonald
 Mir. Benson's letter and Commis- sioner Macdonald's reply are as fol- lows:
 MT. John A. Macdonald, superin- tendent
 Highway Department,
 State Capitol.
 Hartford. Conn.
 Dear Mir. Macdonald:
 Twill you kindly advise what is being done to remedy the situation at the Berlin underpass? As you know, whenever we get a heavy downfall of rain, the road becomes impossible and there is no good de- tour in the immediate vicinity. We ! i, bility of correcting the grade or drainage for the underpass because of it's low level. However it has been brought to our attention that the detour which is below the un- derpass could be improved at slight ing the railroad tracks by an ov1r pass; and if it could be placed in good condition, it would provide a great convenience to the traffic Tn that territory when the underpass s in an impossible condition.
 You are undoubtedly aware of his whole situation and it is the purpose of this communication 1o learn what measures your depart nent IS taking to correct it. q Very truly yours,
 Ralph H. Benson
 Genl Secy" Mir. Ralph H. Benson
 General Secretary
 Chamber of Commerce
 New Britain, Conn.
 Dear Sir:
 With reference to your letter af he 12th, yesterday l examined the situation and found a very good de- our around the location in question which apparently has been used luite a little.
 I do not think it is necessary, for the few times it is to be used, tc make any improvement in the de- eur.
 Yours truly,
 tsigned)
 John A. Macdonald
 State Highway Commissioner
 One Car Road Found
 Accompanied by MT. Marsh, c Herald reporter drove over the de sour road this morning. The roaj vas found to be in better condition than usual having been scraped re. gently. At a number of places some one has thrown cinders on in an at tempt to create better traction or rainy days. The dangerous ap, proach to the overpass had not beer graded nor surfaced, nor had an, attempt been made 10 cover the surface of the road so that trucks and cars would not slide into tn, mud on rainy days. According tc MT. Marsh, when this road is wet il becomes Aothing more than a clay pit.
 A large proportion of the road i. too marrow for two cars to pass.
 Although MT. Benson is out of the city on his vacation, it is understood that there is so much traffic out ol New Britsin through Berlin tt Meriden, Middletown and to the Connecticut river road that the mat ter will not be permitted to rest un til the commissioner makes som, effort either to improve the concrete road so that it will not fill up witt water, or to make the detour int more or less of a permanent road way.