The copper era and Morenci leader., 1913-09-12
CHANGES ARE MADE CLIFTON DUNCAN
 ROAD
Surveying Begins On New Location for Part of CIifton-Duncan Road, and Probable That State WilI
 Build Highway.

proposed new location for a part of the Clifton-Duncan road, the plan being to change, for about six miles, the route at present followed.
 Under the direction of County Sur veyor Tunis, the survey of the new location begins at the head of Wards canyon and follows to what is known as the wire fence mesa" total dis tance of about six miles. The pur- poses of this change in the Clifton Duncan road is to obviate the use of the present road for about the dis tance of the proposed route, the part of the present road to be discarded being known as the worst part of the Clifton-Duncan highway. In many places along the part which it is pro- posed to discard, the grades are very steep, and in addition the road bed is of such nature that no permanent perfection can be attained without a large outlay of construction expense. The opinion of the county surveyor is that a much more desirable route can be surveyed, and his object will be to locate route that will, in addition to lessening the total distance to Duncan, also follow a more level stretch of country. While the sur vey is not yet completed, MT. Tunis has already outlined a route that will be material improvement over the route at present followed. The new route will, on the whole, lie alongside the old road.
 An important announcement in this connection is that part of the sys- tenn of state highways will be finally used in the travel from Clifton to Duncan, and points in theGila valley. Some time since, under the direction of State Engineer Cobb, a survey was made for contemplated highway, the survey beginning at Clifton and continuing to the head of Wards can yon, the route passing by the new smelter of the Arizona Copper com pany. It is understood that MT. Cobb will soon arrive in Clifton to superintend the beginning of construc- tion of a state road following this survey. .l.... . --..s--ss7 f..r. s'-
 Under the provisions of the state law concerning the apportionment of the state road fund, each county of the state is entitled to have expended within it's borders, on highway con- Struction, an amount of the state road, funds in proportion with the assess nent levied by the state upon the county. Greenlee county's interest in the state highway fund now amounts to about 100000, and it is stated that approximately that amount will be expended upon the construc- tion of the road along the route all ready surveyed by the state engineer.
 It is probable that the passage from Clifton to Duncan and other points in the GiIa Valley, will follow this state route upon the roads completion al- though the object of the survey under the direction of MT. Tunis will be to outline, for immediate purposes, de- sirable highway to Duncan.
 The conjecture is that the survey of a state road leading from Clifton to Solomonville will finally be made, the connecting of all county seats in the state being the policy of the men in charge of that department.
 Following in due course upon the completion of the surveys and loca- tion by MT. Tunis, it is probable that the county will let to contractors the construction of the road along the route chosen, although it will probably be several months before that part of the highway to Duncan will be open to traffic.
 Early Completion of Duncan-Rich-
 mond Road.
 MT Tunis reports that four weeks will witness the completion of the new road leading from Duncan to the state line between Arizona and New Mexico. It is probable that New Mexico will continue this road to
 
 valley, a few miles above Duncan. The completion of this road will mean much to the citizens in that section, as heretofore they have been greatly inconvenienced, especially in time of flood in the Gila, in reaching Dun- can, their market point.
 State Will Build Further.
 Since the above was written it is learned that the officials connected with the State Engineers office have decided to- build, under state expense, a road from Clifton to the Wire fence mesa" thus obviating the con- struction, at county expense of the proposed road from the head of Wards canyon to the point men, toned
 MT Barlow, assistant State Engineer, is now in Clifton, and after an inspection of the location of the proposed road, announces that the state will extend the road from the head Of Wards canyon, the point formerly decided upon as the end of the states construction, to the total distance contemplated by the county officials. This will make a. material difference to the people of Greenlee county, as the expense of the con struction of the six miles of road would have been considerable.
 This week the assistant engineer, in company with County Surveyor Tunis, went over the proposed route begin ming at Wards canyon. A survey of this route will be made by the state as soon as state engineers now en- gagged in other work can be sent to -CJiffon survey of the route from