Imperial Valley press., 1914-03-28

IN lanu Wnere IL Seholn rams anu
the soil is soft silt how are the roads
managed? Do they not become dus
ty? Throughout the Imperial Valley
the roads are made double. They are
so graded, with a ridge of earth be-
tween, that when one side becomes
worn and dusty it can be Irrigated"
while the other side is used. With
plenty of water to wet the roads down
and drags to keep them smooth, al
ways one, and usually both, sides OF
the road are in good condition. Super
visors and overseers in the different
districts seem to vie with one another
in keeping up and improving the sys-
tenn.
But in a county where the traffic
is so very heavy as it is becoming IN
the valley it is necessary to have a
permanent good roads system. The
State Highway Commission has re-
Gently completed a survey for that
part of the highway which will ex-
tend from El Centre to the mountains
on the line to San Diego to connect
with the coast line of the State High
way system.
The survey calls for line west
from the city limits at Imperial aV-
enue on the present road past Whsle,
yeering to the south through Seeley,
then west across New river to Dixie
land and on to the base of the noun
tains without a right angle turn or
8 turn of any importance for the en-
tire 50 miles.
Active work will begin on this part
Of the highway in April. The present
road to San Diego is in such good
condition that the stages and scores
of automobiles make the trip in from
six to eight hours daily. The distance
is 125 miles. This distance will be
shortened by the highway, which Will
cut across the desert to the mouth OF
San Diego canyon.
The new highway will be petrolithie
pavement on concrete base. The
width will be Is feet, which, with
shoulders" four feet wide on each
side. will. make a boulevard 26 feet
wide. 1t j. expected that the State
highway will be part of the proposed
national highway. Strong effort IL
being made in different quarters to
make the southern highway the prin-
eipal boulevard to California and to
have it completed so far as possible
by exposition year.
E. L. Furguson of Atlanta, who re-
Gently piloted IA cars across the conti-
nent, says: Nothing can compare
with the all southern route for all the
year. It's u moHths proposition: The
northern routes must necessarily be
closed for several months because of
snow and rain.
an 1915 your great question will
be where to park your cars. No one
can guess how many people will come
to the exposition in touring cars. No
matter how high you make the esti
mate it will probably be too low. IL
the state would build short line FROM
Ell Centre to Yuma you would get the
cost back in single year" :.
Beyond doubt line will be built
to Yuma. Possibly from both the
southern and northern part of the
county. Plans are also under con-
sideration for complete system OF
good roads in Imperial county. This
system will connect all the cities from
Brawley on the north to CaleXico on
the south and from Holtville on the
east to. Seeley and Dixieland on the
west, via the state highway.
1t must necessarily take some time
to work out the details of system
that will be adequate to the needs oi
so rapidly growing community as
Imperial Valley. After the leading
cities are connected, branch roads ear
be run to every part, for ultimately
no portion of the valley will be con-
tent to be left out of the system. The
system of railroads and truck line;
which will soon be complete will maks
it easy to transport road building ma
terial from the beds now being de
veloped to every part of the valley.
For the state highway minimum
width of go feet is required Probably
to conform to the other roads widtl
of 80 feet will be made the standard
Through the mountains it is not tht
policy of the Commission TO permit