The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-02-23
GREAT ROAD MOVEMENT.
Scheme TO Build 5000 Miles Of State
Road Connecting All County Seats
in Pennsylvania.
BILL NOW BEFORE The LEGISLATURE.

ware county, on Wednesday Of
last week introduced in the Sen.
ate two bills providing compre.
henslve plan for new highways
throughout the State. With the
bills he introduced a resolution
for an amendment to the Consti.
tuition euthorlzlng a S50,000,000
bond issue TO promptly begin the
construction of the system of
State highways. Senator Sproul
explained the scope of the bills
in the following statement:
One of the bills provides for a
complete system of main high.
ways to be built and maintained
at the sole expense of the State,
connecting the county seats
throughout the State and con.
Meeting the border-llne counties
with the adjoining common
wealths. These roads aggregate
more than 5000 miles and have
been carefully mapped out by
men familiar with the topographi
cal and other conditions existing
throughout the State. They EN-.
brace 203 routes, which are specl
fically described and set forth In
detail in the bill. Future Legis-
latures may add to these routes.
There are main roads practical
ly bisecting every county seat
and so arranged as to touch all
the important towns and market
centres. The bill further pro-
vides that these roads shall be
taken over Immediately and main
tanned at the States expense,
without waiting for the work of
reconstruction. When recon-
sLructlon Is commenced 1t shall
be carried on simultaneously and
uniformly on all of the routes, in
suring an impartial distribution
of good roads throughout the
State.
The State is practically divided
into 80 road districts and a de.
partment engineer is placed in
charge Of each district, with pow
er to direct all work o. coustruc.
ton and maintenance on all class.
es of roads to which the State
gives aid, as well as to the State
highway. Stase aid In construc.
ton of local roads is provided tor,
with the requirement that the
local authorities first enter into
an agreement authorizing the
State to subsequently maintain
and to charge one-half Of the
maintenance cost TO the county
or township, whichever Is the
joint owner. This feature will
prevent the destruction of roads |
Though neglect which have been |
with State aid, and |
it also lnsures to the locality one.
half of the cost of the upkeep,
while under existing laws the
State has no control or power
over this class of highways and
is powerless to prevent the decay |
of roads to which 1t has contrib
uted the greater part of the cost
of construction.
The Highway Department Is
authorized to purchase machinery
labor and to actually en-
gage IN construction and repair
work when deemed advisable. In
this respect the Highway Depart
ment Is placed on the same foot.
ing as that of New York State,
which is said to be producing sat
lsfactory results.
The second bill provides that
the State shall contribute to coun
ties and townships toward the
cost of repairs on local roads
which are maintained to State
standards.
Should this Bill become law,
and the roads be built IN accor.
dance with the proposed scheme,
McConnellsourg would be in
touch with Its nelghborlng towns
by State Road as follows:
McConnellsburg to Hunting.
don by way of Knobsvllle, Burnt
Shade Gap, Orblsonia,
and Mount Union.
McCnnnellshurp To Mlffllntnwn