The Wilmington morning star., 1947-02-25
More Opinions Voiced
Over New Truck Lane
PROPOSED TRUCK LANE

To the Editor:
In regard to a proposed truck
lane around the city of Wilmington,
l would like to call attention to a
few facts as / see them. That is,
the heavy Oil truck traffic on Third
street. The oil trucks are far more
dangerous than ony other traffic
OH the road, as the potential
strength of gasoline is equal to that
of dynamite, and far more inflam-
mable, especially if a high wind
were blowing from the east OF
west. This is the longest straight
traffic through the most valuable
part Of Wilmington, some two or
three miles, and the greatest pos
sible danger to the life Of our
people through a little carelessness
on someone's part may take the
life OF n of best friends or
some. little child.
To reroute this dangerous traffic
to some other street is only placing
the danger on someone else and
should not under any conditions be
done, because the fire and accident
hazard, especially if high octane
gasoline were involved in a wreck,
would be much greater on any
other street than Third, as there
is no street as wide as Third street.
and the houses are nearly all of
wood construction and much closer
to the street. To shift this traffic
around the town would greatly in
crease the distance and still have
the dangers. 7 h e proposed route
out Dawson street north through
Delgado and East Wilmington
would run into Oakdale cemetery
(and please don't bother them.
then over the Atlantic. Coast Line
tracks. The traffic would have to
come back to Ninth street then out
to Nixon. which in time will grow,
and then you would have the same
objections as Third street or
Seventh street. According to the
Highway Commission the Seventh
street route would cost between
$500, 900 and $500, 600, a. the street
would have to be made much
wider from one end to the other.
and a large bridge would have to
be built across the A. c. L. tracks,
which would no doubt be objected
to by the railroad.
The most practical solution. as
well as the cheapest way out, is
to lay a pipe line across the river
to Eagle island from each Of the
oil companies, OF carry this line
across the island and across Bruins
wick river. where a station for the
companies could be established
and these trucks could be fill
led there, and thereby save from
5 to 10 miles in dangerous traffic,
over so minutes in. time, or from
81 to So for each truck. AS it is
claimed 300 trucks a day come to
Wilmington. a saving Of from $500
to 5000 per day could be saved,
or $1S, 900 to $27, 900 per month. A
trench could be dug below the bot
tom Of the channel through the 60.
quena rock, which is a soft shell
rock and easily dug, about 10 or
II feet below the channel of the
river. SO h e future dredging Of
the river would not interfere with
the pipes laid there. A two ana
one half inch water line nov
crosses the river to the u. S.
Engineer yard on. Eagle island.
This line was laid by the crew OF
the Henry Bacon, at a very reason
able cost, to furnish fresh water
for boilers Of the bridges. This line
is laid on top Of the bottom of the
river and not in a trench. A hard
surfaced road runs down Eagle
island to the government yard and
it is not very far below to a point
opposite h e oil terminals whe1e
the pipes would cross.
These savings to the citizens of
Wilmington, as well as the oil
companies, are we'll worth con
sidering. when they amount to. a
yearly saving of from $500, 900 to
$500, 900 plus the interest on what
the road would cost and the up
keep and additional insurance. Also
to be considered, is what a lawsuit
would cost if there were a serious
accident, which might cost over a