The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-07-11
MONEY FOR ROADS
Shawnee County Spends e6ee :
Mile in Last Two Years.
Designated Highways Total
1ss Niles In Length.
HEAR DEMAND FoR BRIDGEs
Necessity for ct Least -, 900
for the Betterments.
Prospect for Additional
Stretches Of Roads This Year.


In the last two years. Shawnee
county has spent an average Of $S6S.sS
a mile ON designated county roads OF
which there Is today q total OF 1851
miles, not including bridge work
Shawnee's total account for county
roads and bridges. exclusive OF the
township roads. to which the COUNTY
contributes only In cases OF emery
ency, In the last two years. ended
June 30, has been:
Maintenance Of Co. roads. 11l3...$ 62ee1 Z!
Maintenance Of g; roads, Das.-. "a "a sa =
County bridges. 1914. 4VW4sV
Two year total on Highways. .$182. S7o01
For the last two years the county
has levied q tax Of rs cents on the
hundred dollars for road ana pr1oee
building and maintenance FUNDS cor
lectinx this tax on all the property OF
the county and city. but spending all
the money outside the corporate limits
Of Topeka. In accordance with nego-
tiations between Shawnee countys
board Of commissioners ana the
boards Of trustees Of the several town
ships. the county has agreed at it,
earliest convenience to assume the
maintenance Of GAL miles more of
road, additional to the 1851 OF desig-
mated roads, which are the principal
highways all over the county.
Demand for Bridges.
Besides this prospective added ex-
pense. the county faces the necessity
of expanding not less than $4,000 on
county bridges, for which insistent de-
mands are made from various parts
of the county. The estimate covers
the prospective cost Of replacing sew
eral Of tho old wooden bridges which
are rotting out.
In addition to expenditures mem
toned. Shawnee county spent $1.441.35
In 1913 for opening roads. most OF
which are maintained by township
expense, and $1,811.46 in the fiscal
year just ended.
1t u an interesting fact that no i'm
dividual In Shawnee county knows ex-
actly how many bridges this county
owns. Besides the flve bridges over
the KaW river. there are records of
las bridges in the county with spans
| Of IL feet up to 160 feet. but, on a
recent trip into the country. walter
]. Arnold. county engineer. and Com
missioner ]. c. Sinner discovered a
found on books now In use In the en-
gineer's ONCE. Admittedly. says Mr..
Arnold. there may be others and he ii
looking for them. The fact that some
of the smaller stone bridges put in
years ago have been OF such perma-
Heut con1tFuctlOu - 10 HeCesDIAte no
expense for repair has permitted them
to drop entirely out Of sight on the
county's books.
Permanent improvements.
While most Of the county roads are
merely graded and provided with con-
crete culverts Of a permanent charac-
ter, nearly - miles have been Inn
proved In q more or less permanent
way The use Of gravel, macadam.
/ a - - R<~Dv<
Gravelcd roads ....................S2.80 miles
Macadam ........................... As miles
i Oh S60 miles
Gnoefs l.60 miles
bI1ck 30 miles
Many gaps must be filled before
the county will have complete sys-
tenn Of roads. It II with this object
that the county commissioners and
township trustees have been constant
" In negotiation over new roads to
be taken into the county's charge. The
improvement and maintenance work
il under the personal supervision OF
County Engineer Arnold, whose ONCE
IL steadily growing in Importance by
reason Of the large expenditures d.
rected through It.
Both Sides Of the River.
AS now distributed. there are 1905
miles of county roads south Of the
Kaw and 62.3 in the northern part OF
the county. OF the new roads to be
taken over by the county. 1873 miles
are In the north part ana sos In the
south part The county roads are a
follows:
North Of Kansas River.
Golden Belt road. Topeka-et. Mays
Golden Belt. east, Calhoun Biufis
Upper ssivsr LsSs rod past Re. -
school, mi. oil, and mi. cindered rs