Milford chronicle., 1959-04-24
1858 HighICay
Report Tells Forty
Years OF Progress
CONTINUED from page one)


For example, back in 1918 the
average cost of improving a mile
of road was $34,OO0.00 while in
1858 this average cost was $780,
0OO.0 90. The value of the highways,
land and equipment of the High
way Department is listed at
$277, ,525.27.
The outline of the activities of
each Division of the Highway De-
partment is told in concise man.
ner with many photos used to
work and what has been accom-
plished as a. result of this type of
operation
A careful examination Of this
report will provide the reader with
a functional step by step operation
in the surveying, planning and con-
struction of a highway, with the
heretofore little known amount of
paper work involved by the vari-
GUS Divisions before a highway
can be made ready for the use of
che travelling public.
Many of the far-fung activities
of the State Highway Department,
some of which are little known to
the public, are narrated iR this
report and these activities, in a
measure, compare the Highway
Department with a Public Works
Department in some States.
A picture story unveils the con-
ditions surrounding some bridges,
comparing the modern day con-
structed bridge with some of those
that were erected long before the
Highway Department came into
being and which have long since
cutIived their usefulness.
Narrated in this report is some
data showing where your highway
dollar comes from and how it
was spent An interesting COM
parison is made by showing that
in 1918 the highway income was.
0.9 million and the expenditures
were 05 million, while in 1858
the income was $41.9 million and
the expenditures s41.5 million.
However, the public is reminded
that the average citizens of Della
ware can look at any section of the
state and quickly see the type of
highways that have resulted from
these expenditures.
The Departments construction
record for the 1957-58 fiscal year
is listed as follows: 73 contracts
awarded, covering 345 miles at a
cost of $14,929,842.8O and 33 con-
tracts carried over from the pre-
vious year, covering 561 miles and
having a cost of $4,385. 5.O60.84, or
total for the year of LOG active
contracts covering 906 miles
valued at $19,314, ,903.64.
A review of the dirt road i'm
provement program and repair of
suburban development streets is
also presented. However a. con-
tinuation of these two functions
will depend upon action of the
Legislature in making funds a.
vailable for them.
The report records that there are
a total of 4,119 miles of highways
in the state highway system, of
which 141 miles are divided high
ways and 3,978 miles are in other
roads.
r. A. Haber, Chief Engineer of
the Highway Department, under
whose direction this new type of
report was prepared, stated in his
letter of transmittal to the Com
missioners of the Department, said
II hope this will be the beginning
of a series of readable and inform
ative reports which will bring to
the citizens of the State the story
of just what the Highway Depart
ment has accomplished
Governor ]. Caleb Boggs, who
reviewd one of the early completed
copies of the new style reports,
praised the action in bringing the
detailed data concerning highway
construction to the attention of
the people of the State.
Public distribution of the re-
port is available now.