Arizona republican., 1911-08-29
Prescott-Phoenix Highway Will Equal Any of Them
 THE MOUNTAIN PANORAMA
Pushing Surveys - Con struction Contracts to be Let August 31. Progress of Work at Tempe-Pour- ing of Concrete Begins.

On the 31st instant the board of the construction of two sections of the territorial highway between Pres colt and Phoenix. One will be for the building of about ten miles of road already located south from the end of the present finished section some twelve miles from Prescott, to- gether with as much more yet to be surveyed in extension thereof; and the other will be stretch of about fifteen miles in the vicinity of Silver Mountain about fifty miles south of Prescott Between these two sections is an old road that Yavapai county has volunteered to repair sufficiently to make it passable for automobiles. The board will insist that the con tractors employ good forces of men and rush the work.
 Territorial Engineer J. B. Girand, who returned from Prescott Sunday night said he could not tell just when this work would be finished but it will be only a few months and when it is done the road may be travelled all the way between Prescott and Phoenix IL will make the distance between Prescott and Phoenix less than a hundred miles and be a good road. though it will not then be finished to the high standard of the final highway, except in places built by the territory. But it can be used all right and an automobile ought to easily make the trip between the two cities in five or six hours. or course it is planned to continue the work until it is up to standard all the way. MT. Grand said he rode over the country between Prescott and Silver Mountain on horseback. He never saw a more beautiful picture in all his Arizona travels than he beheld from a point on Silver mountain about 5000 feet high, where he could look away over all western Arizona and down over the intervening hills to the Salt river valley. At night time the lights of Phoenix may be seen and with a glass perhaps the houses could be. It is said the lghts of Phoenix may also be seen from the Senator mine, or thereabout, that being only twelve miles from Pres colt. But the view from Silver Mountain is a gorgeous panorama, stretching away in almost every di- rection. MT. Girand says the Pres cott-Phoenix highway will be one oi the superb scenic roads in the world. MT. Girand says there are two sur veying parties on the Prescott-Phoe- nix road. One is under the direction of H. NJ. Lewis of this city, who has charge of the Mount Union sec tion, the one first referred to. lie has run a fine road line for about ten miles and has about that much more to work out. The other party IS on Silver Mountain and is under the direction of D. NJ. Bunker, formerly q division engineer on the Santa Fe- He has about fifteen miles of the road assigned to him.
 Work at Tempe
 Mir. Girand visited the operations on the Salt river bridge at Tempe yesterday and says he is well pleased with the way things are progressing There was some delay in the arrival of needed machinery and equipment but it is all on hand now. There mas also been some delay occasioned by the frequently recurring rlses III tue river but that no longer interferes and he sees no occasion for further delays. The men are down to bed rock in two of the caissons and have found it exactly where they were led to expect it by previous soundings- There is little doubt that it will be found clear across the river channel They expect to begin pouring con crete in the caissons today. The bed rock is about thirty feet below the low water mark.
 The bridge will be 1515 feet long and will include eleven spans ot lZo feet each. It will be relnlorceu concrete structure and more orha- mental than any concrete bridge yet constructed in Arizona, in some re- ,,pocts tbe largest bridge of its klnd