The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1939-05-05
To Widen State High
way Lanes
New Route 40 Will Be Con-
structed With Twenty
Four Foot Roadways

Twenty-four- foot concrete pave
ments will carry north and south
bound traffic on the new dual hlgh-
way from Havre de Grace to the
Delaware State line.
The increase in the width OF the
lanes by four feet over those max
ing up the dual-lane Philadelphia;
road from Baltimore city line to
Havre de Grace is to comply with
requests of the Federal Bureau OF
Public Roads, Nathan l.. Smith,
chief engineer of the State ROADS
Commission, revealed.
The relocated highway, which VIII
eliminate a dangerous undespass at
North East and an overhead rallroad
crossing with S-curve approaches at
Bacon Hill, is regarded by the Gov
eminent as IAN important arterlal
highway for national defense.
Generally it will be north OF the
Pennsylvania Railroad from Havre
de Grace to Elkton, near which city
three bridges are to be built, one 10
swing the highway over the railroad
the others to cross the Big Elk creek
and Little Elk creek.
Work on the first 2.4-mile section
of the 13-mile highway between the
Delaware State line and point near
Elkton is to start as soon as right
of-way difficulties are cleared up.
John Ensey, of Baltimore, last fall
submitted a low bid of 1927. O5S.O5
for grading, installing drainage
structures and laying two 24-foot
concrete pavements.
The commission has received a
low bid of $454,595.75 from A. v.
Williams, of Middle River, for grad
ing and installing drainage struc-
lures on a stretch of 4.04 miles from
Foy's Hill to the North East-Lesl1e
road.
The bids ranged from the Will
liams figure up to $223,000. The
project is regarded as big one. 1t
involves the handling of more than
$4,000 cubic yards Of earth In
heavy fills and excavations.
The commission has also adyertis-
ed for bids for third section OF the
extension to Route 40 to run from
the North East-Leslie road inter-
section to near Elkton, distance
of sos miles. The contract for the
third section includes only the grad
ing and drainage structures.
The fourth and last section OF the
highway, for which plans and speclH-
cations are now being made, will pc
a costly one, although it is but one
and a half miles in length.
In addition to the grading ana
having involve dnear the town OF
Elkton it includes q major overpass
above the railroad tracks near there
and the two bridges over the Big
and Little Elk creeks.
The right-of-way will be $50 feet
wide. The two lanes for north ana
south bound traffic will be separated
by a parkway varying from 80 to 5O
feet in width.
Ten-foot-wide shoulders will line
each of the traffic lanes, with addi-
tional space at each side foc drain
age of surface water.
State Roads Commission officials
expect the twenty-four-foot lanes
hereafter to be standard for daul
highways. They will be built in two
twelve-foot-wide sections.
The State Roads Commission has
advertised for bids for paving the
last link of the dual lane Governor
Richie Highway.
It is approximately five miles long
and its completion from Jones Sta
ton to the Severn River bridge ap-
proach will open both lanes OF the
boulevard between the Baltimore
city line at Brooklyn and Annapolis.
The grading and installation OF
the necessary structures Of the sec
ton on which the southbound lane
only has been laid was finished sew
eral months ago.