Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-14
Scheme Carries With It Inter-
linking Of Every State.
PROVIDES FOR SO, 900 MILES
Details to Be Given Federal Aid
Good Roads Convention Tuesday.
COST TO REACH $255, 1875, 900
System Consists Of Six Main, Thir-
teen Trunk and Forty Link Roads
Covering Whole Country.

Detailed plans, maps ana estimates Tor
the construction OF 10000 miles of high
ways, connecting and interlinking every
part OF the United States, will be pre-
scented to the federal aid good roads con-
vention. which meets here Tuesday for
two-day session.
In a pamphlet just issued by the Ma
tional Highways Association the state
ment is made that there are more than
100000 miles of highways in the United
states. OF these not one mile can truly
be called q national highway, if exccp-
ton is made of the roads I'm the national
parks and the District of Columbia. To
propose the building of $4,000 miles of
national highways may seem TO the I'M
thinking a revolutionary idea. yet Io.OU
miles of highways is but little more than
= per cent Of the total road mileage of
this country. And what Is that, COM
pared to the magnificent showing of
France. and the much greater need of
our own enormous territory for first-class
roads to connect its several parts?
The plans Of the association. 1t is stated,
have been accurately and carefully pre-
pared. and the roads have been located
by trained and experienced road en-
gineers, working with complete office
and drafting force for more than four
months.
To Be Six Main Highways.
The highways system, as laid out and
corrected to date. consists of six main
highways, thirteen trunk highways and
forty link highways. connecting the mains
and the trunks. and reaching out in all
directions until the country as a whole
Is covered with almost spider-web
tracery Of roads. 1t is stated that IN
spite of this apparently complete cover
ing of the country. however, the netWofh
of suggested roads aggregate but per
cent of the total highways of the nation.
The main highways contemplated IN
the plans are: The northern from pos
ton to Seattle, a distance OF $50 miles'
the central from Washington TO san
Francisco 4,Oo5 miles, and the southern,
from st. Augustine to San Diego. 800
miles. or total OF east and west man
highways of 11.275 miles. The north ana
south main highways are the Atlantic.
from Calais. Me-, to Miami, Fla, 400
miles: the Mississippi. from Duluth to
New Orleans. 1.45O miles. and the racine.
from Seattle to San Diego. 1,1lo miles.
total north and south mileage of o,625
miles Of main highway.
Proposed Trunk Highways.
The trunk highways proposed by the
association are the Appalachian, be-
tween Albany, " Y, and Mobile, with
q length of about 1876 miles: the Can
ada-Gulf, from the Red river of the
North TO New Orleans, 1,7OO miles: the
Great. Iakes-Atlantic. from Chicago to
Charleston. S. c., 1,02J miles: the Great
Lakes-Gulf, from Chicago to Appalachi-
cola, Fla, 1900 miles; the Lake-Moun-
tain-Pacific from Chicago to Los Ange-
les, 2.aO miles: the Missouri Arizona,
from ST. Louis to Phoenix, 1,7I' miles;
the Northwest, from Chicago to Billings,
Mont 1,5OO miles Oklahoma Carolinas.
from Guthrie to Beaufort. l,47o miles.
the Puget-Gulf. from Seattle to Calves
ton. 1925 miles: the Rocky Mountain.
from Fort Assiniboine, Mont. to FL Paso.
1.2JO miles; the Santa Fe. from Kansas
City to San Francisco. 40 miles; the
Southwest. from Philadelphia to LAREDO,
Tex. 24E miles, and the Texas-Atianuc,
from FL Paso to Wilmington, \. c., 1890
miles. Total, 1890 miles.
The forty link highways in the pro-
posed system are designed to connect the
mains and the trunks of the highway
network and aggregate loS21 miles. the
total for mains. trunks and links being
81 ,CaJ miles, approximately.
Called Merely a Beginning.
The association states that the more
than $4,000 miles of highway contem-
plated in the original plans are merely
beginning. and that the system is in
tended 10 ne the OASIS oI Il netWoTh Vi
interstate and intrastate roadways that
will cover the entire country and afford
adequate communication between all sec
lions.
AS the average cost per mile of properly
constructed permanent highway is about
s5,Us,. 1t will he seen that the cost of the
proposed highway system would be some
thing like $2I5, 12JOO. The system pro-
posed as national one-'not state high
ways. with national aid or without ii. but
a broad and comprehensive system Of ma
tional highways. built. owned and main
tanned by the national government, in
the same way that France makes. owns
and maintains its national road system,
the best in the world
More than a score of representatives
and senator's will speak at the conven-
ton Tuesday and Wednesday.
Joseph p. III. Mullikin. eighty-f -four