Smyrna times., 1941-10-16
SPEED ZONE ON
BRIDGE DETOUR
As m. p. h. New Speed Limit
on MiddletOwn, Delaware
City DetOur Route
TO REDUCE ACCIDENTS

Forty-five miles an hour became
the speed limit on Monday on the
Middletown and Port Penn-Dela-
ware City detours around the St.
Georges bridge project. Special
zones were set up at Middletown
and Delaware City, limiting speed
to 25-miles an hour in and 35-miles
an hour approaching the commun-
tiles. Norman R. Purnell, super
intendent of state police, said that
the new regulations will be enforc-
ed strictly by the police. Motor
lists will be cautioned by signs an
nouncing the reduced limits on the
roads, on which. 78 accidents, in
cluding four fatalities, occurred
this year. The zoning of the roads,
made possible under a provisions of
the new 50-55-mile speed law en-
acted by the 1941 State Legisla-
ture, was authorized by the State
Highway Commission after study
of a report prepared by w. B. Nc
Kendrick, traffic engineer of the
highway department.
Test For Accidents
Mr.. McKendrick explained that
the two detours are being used as
the "'guinea pigs" to ascertain
what can be accomplished in acci-
dent reduction and to serve as an
indicator toward future zoning.
The Middletown detour begins on
the south at the H. and H. garage,
north of Blackbird, and continues
to Tybout's Corner. The other is
from Biddle's Corner to Wrangle
Hill by way of Port Penn and Del
aware City, with a cutoff for pleas
ure cars. In Sc accidents on the
Middletown detour, which is about
20 miles in length, four persons
were killed, "a were injured and
property damage of S13,572 was
caused, Mr.. McKendrick's report
cited. On the Delaware City de-
tour there were % accidents, in
which one was killed, 16 injured
and $500 property damage. This
detour is about nine miles by the
cutoff and II miles by continuing
to Port Penn. On the Middletown
road there are five accident-prone
locations, Mr.. McKendrick said.
They are at the Mt. Pleasant inter
section, a vertical and horizontal
curve south of Middletown, Summit
Bridge, where the speed is too
high for the conditions; at Red
Lion, and from the railroad at Jes-
ter's Corner to the railroad at
Kirkwood. The accidents at these
locations were: Mt. Pleasant, nine,
including one fatality; south of
Middletown, six; Summit Bridge,
nine; Red Lion, south of Tybout's
Corner, eight, including two fatal
tiles, and between TESTERS Corner
and Kirkwood, IA.
Heavy Traffic Reported
Mr.. McKendrick said that about
5000 motor vehicles a day pass
over the two detours on week days
and about 1000 on Saturday and
Sundays at this season of the year,
and the traffic is considerably
heavier in the summer months. The
accident rate, he stressed, has been
out of proportion to the number of
vehicles using the roads. Mr.. Nc
Kendrick explained that travellers
of the roads, with particular refer
ence to the Middletown road, are
subject to numerous hazards be-
cause of heavy traffic, restricted
travel widths, blind intersections
vertical and horizontal curves, and
restricted visibility A general in
formation sign will be erected at
each end of the detours, reading:
This Highway Speed zoned- Max
imum Speed, 45 Miles Per Hour"
There will be reminder signs along
the roads, reading: Maximum
Speed, As Miles Per Hour" And
every three miles there will be the
usual speed limit signs. The re-
duced speed limits will remain in
effect until the new st. Georges
Bridge is opened to traffic.