Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-07-20
ROAD WORK BEING
PUSHED RAPIDLY
State Highway Department Makes
Allowances to Various Divi-
sions For Operations

The State Highway Department has
| made tremendous start in the last
few days toward utilizing the 81, ,125, 900
| fund derived from the taxation and
| registration of automobiles for repair
OF highways. Three thousand or more
men are at work all over the state and
the emergency repairs are being
pushed as rapidly as possible. The
weather has proved a fortunate fac
tor, as the heavy rains in the forepart
| OF last week. which were general
| throughout the commonwealth, put the
roads in excellent shape for the use of
| the road drags which have been
utilized to smooth out the inequalities.
No attempt has been made to begin
resurfacing work and none will be
made until the more important gen.
| eral repair work has been accom-
| plished. S. d. Foster. chief engineer
of the State Highway Department, has
directed that initial repairs, including
| the filling of holes cleaning out of
| bitches, culverts and cutters and gen.
eral shaping up and rolling of high
ways, he completed before any further
detailed work is started. The work
| new being carried on is under charge
of the maintenance division, of which
| George Fl, Biles is the engineer in
charge. The maintenance division has
| available balance for state-aid main
tenance of $S5,74S.51.
The word sent out on Tuesday of
| last week to start the important repair
work throughout the state meant that
l,5OO men began work within the fol-
lowing forty-eight hours. These forces
| were augmented from time to time
until at present nearly 1000 men are
employed. In addition to the imme-
| date repair work there are nearly
1000 men employed on resurfacing
work and in repairing bridges and cul-
Verts on state-aid maintenance.
| In Dauphin, Juniata, Lebanon,
Mifflin and Perry counties the author
| izations approximate $12,500.
In Clearfield. Center and Indiana
counties work of this nature aggre-
eating nearly S11. 900 has been author
| lied by the maintenance division to
date this year.
In Columbia, Luzerne Montour,
Northumberland. Union and Snyder
counties nearly $15,500 has been au-
| thorized.
In Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, JEFF
ferson. Lawrence, Mercer and Venango
counties $4,000 has been authorized.
In Berks, Carbon Lehigh, North
ampton and Schuylkill counties nearly
$4,000 has been authorized.
In Adams, Lancaster and York coun-
ties approximately $4,000 has been
| authorized.
In Bucks. Chester Delaware and
Montgomery counties $S,50O has been
set aside.
In Cumberland. Franklin and Fulton
counties more than $4,000 has been
needed.
In Bradford. Cameron, Lycoming.
Sullivan, Tioga and Potter counties
almost $4,000 has been authorized.
In Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Hunt
1ngdon and Somerset counties more
than S2S,500 has been authorized.
In Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike, Sus-
quehanna. Wayne and Wyoming coun-
ties approximately $3.50 has been
authorized.
In Allegheny. Beaver and Westmore-
land counties about $4,000 has been
authorized.
In Fayette. Greene and Washington
counties approximately $4,000 has
been authorized.
In Erie, Crawford, Forest. Mexican
and Warren counties nearly 100000
has been authorized.
In many of the above counties a
large amount of money was needed for
snow removal during the heavy storms
of last Spring, but by far the greater
! portions of the amounts given are be-
| ing used for purposes of making re-
pairs. These repairs are in addition to
| the work started last week and are on
state-aid highways only. The impetus
| given to the work of the State High
way Department by the release of the
! automobile funds last week means that
| an equal or greater amount of labor
! will be expended on the state high
ways in repairs of a similar character
| The fact that the best part of the
| season for roadmaking purposes has
passed is regretted by State Highway
| Department officials but it is intended
| to make the best possible use of the
time remaining to put the state high
ways in repair.