Smyrna times., 1933-06-21
AGREE TO BUILD
BYPASS ROAD
Highway Department Would
Begin 100000 Project in
Early Fall if US. Gives Aid
SHARE IN PUBLIC WORKS

Immediate construction of thu
Northeast Boulevard, or industria
highway, extending from the new
Eleventh street bridge, Wilmington
to a point near the Delaware,
Pennsylvania State line north oi
Claymont contingent upon Federal
aid, was agreed upon Thursday by
officials Of the State Highway De
partment in conference in Dover
with representatives of business
groups from Wilmington and rural
New Castle County and city and
county officials. The new road will
parallel the tracks of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad and will be a dual
highway for heavy traffic which
win be diverted from the streets in
the central part Of town and the
Philadelphia Pike. 1t will be be-
tween 5 and Z miles long and the
estimated cost will be in the neigh
borhood of 100000. The project
win be carried out as a part of the
work relief program and it viii af-
ford employment for several hun
dred men throughout next Winter.
Building of the boulevard is con
tingent upon the State receiving a
portion Of the funds to be made
available in the public works bill
passed by Congress. The bill will
make available $1,000, 100000, of
which sum $4OO, 100000 will be pro
rated among the States for con
struction Of public highways. Del
aware's share will be between ST.
100000 and S1,75O,OOO and this
money will be direct grant to the
State, mot a loan, and will not have
to be returned. The State will not
have to match it in any way. The
money viii be available July Il.
Preliminary surveys for the high
way have been made and the High
way Department officials agreed to
begin the permanent survey at
once to locate the exact route. Ac-
tive work of construction will be
started sometime early next Fall.
The new highway will begin at
Eleventh street bridge and extend
out Thatcher street to the city
line. 1t will be built up through
Prandywine hundred and viii join
the Philadelphia Pike at a point
north of Caymont. 1t will not be
extended all the way to the State
line at this time because Of the en-
gineering problem of getting
around the plant Of the Worth
Steel Company but after it is plan
ned to build it around or through
the property to connect with a
Pennsylvania highway at the State
line. Between so and 20 per cent
of the property involved in the un-
dertaking will be donated to the
State by the owners for the right
of way. Nearly all of the owners
of property on Thatcher street
that will have to be taken into the
right of way have agreed to donate
their holdings and other owners up
along the route through Brandy
wine hundred have expressed their
willingness to give the necessary
land for the highway. These do
nations will greatly reduce the to-
tai cost of construction. The city
of Wilmington has agreed to widen
Church street, from Fourth to
Eleventh street bridge, to 80 feet,
and it may be decided later to
make il one way street. with
Spruce the other one street leading
to and from the bridge and the
beginning of the new highway.
The width of the new boulevard
has not been decided but it will be
a two-story road. With the com
pletion of the boulevard it is plan
ned to divert all heavy traffic com
ing north at Rogers Corner,
through Heald street in South Will
mington to Third street bridge to
Fourth street and then to Church
street north over Eleventh street
bridge to the boulevard South
bound traffic through the city will
take the same route. 1t is esti-
mated that by doing this traffic on
Market, King, and French streets,
viii be relieved to a great extent
and that traffic on Market street
north Of the Market street bridge
across the Brandywine Creek, and
on the Philadelphia Pike also will
be relieved Of the congestion which