Milford chronicle., 1954-04-02
Delaware's Highway
Needs

The following are some excerpts
from a recent speech given by Wal
ter McKendrick of the State High
way Department.:
The highway industry with all
its facets is Delaware's most valu-
able asset. From a very meager
beginning in the early part of this
century the industry has grown
and expanded far and beyond the
widest expectations of our most
starry-eyed prophet. Today the in
dustry is of tremendous imDOrt-
ance TO our economy. One out of
every seven gainfully EMPLOYED
people of our state is employed in
some part Of the industry and the
daily life of every man, woman and
child is dependent upon it for their
very existence. The greatest catas-
trophe that could befall our state
or nation would be to deprive it's
people of highways and motor We
hicles and thus their freedom of
movement. The wheels of our mod
ern civilization would come to
sudden and complete stop.
Delaware's economy is diversi-
fed and well balanced. Industry
and commerce is located through
out the state but, OF course, is pri-
marily centered in upper New Cas-
tie County. Agriculture and our
recreational resources predominate
our economy in lower New Castle
County and Kent and Sussex Coun-
ties. Our highway DEVELOPMENT
must be balanced and meet the
needs of our entire economy and
thus when planning our programs
1t is essential that this balance be
maintained and provisions be made
Tor the farmer, Industrial worker.
office worker and for our social
and recreatiOnal needs.
Comparatively, we have as good
a highway network as any other
state. In fact in many respects we
are far ahead of our sister states
since we rank fourth in the nation
IN per cent of roads that are paved.
But like all other states we have
our share of congestion (particu-
larly in the Wilmington area) and
inadequate highways.
/ am not nearly as concerned
about our problems in the year 1854
as | am about the years 1860 and
1870. The siX-yeaT construction
holiday during World War II in
terrupted the normal DEVELOPMENT
OF a system of highways essential
to our national defense and our
industrial, commercial, social and
recreatiOnal needs. And although
we have resumed construction on
a vastly increased scale we are
wearing out our old roads faster
than we are building new ones.
II we are to provide ADEQUATE
and safe highways. we must re-
evaluate our entire procedure and
plan for the future.
There are three keys to an ade-
Cuate and safe highway system.
l. We must recognize that high
way building is big business"
and attract and hold the nee
essary engineering and allied
talent to do the job.
2. We must plan on a long
range basis and assume that
highways built today will car
ry tOmOrrOw's traffic.
). We must provide an adequate
and sound plan of financing
our highway needs
Each Of fhngo
essary as a third leg is to a three
legged stool.
Delaware has many inadequate
highways but its greatest and most
expensive needs are connections
tanning out like spokes in wheel
from a hub at the Delaware Me-
mortal Bridge to the Philadelphia
Chester area, the Pennsylvania
Line near Hockessin, the Mary
land Line west of Glasgow and to
connect with the proposed new
Maryland approach to the Chesa-
peake Bay Bridge.
The Delaware Memorial Bridge
generated a good portion of the
traffic that caused the need for
these expensive highways and the
bridge is a prolific revenue pro-
ducer. The original bond retire
ment schedule called for retire
ment of all bonds by 1878 but at
the present income rate all bonds
will be retired by 1860 and the
burden of maintenance will fall
on the taxpayers of Delaware. And
let us not forget that 800 of the
bridge traffic originates from with
out our borders.
Therefore it is logical and a
common sense solution to tap the
surplus revenues at the bridge and
use these funds to develop ap-
prOaches to the bridge in New Cas-
tie County. Not only would this
important work be facilitated but
1t would also release millions of
dollars of normal tax revenue for
the development of our remaining
highway network throughout the
state. 1t is the only sensible solu-
tion to providing a sound financial
highway plan for all of Delaware.
The United States 1853 potato