The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-10-26
HIGHWAY BUILDING
IN UNITED STATES
Increase of More than ESQ Per
Cent in Outlay for Roads and
Bridges in Last IL Years

Rapid increase in total expendi-
lures for roads and bridges, growth
of building and maintenance activities
under state supervision, and sharp
decrease in the proportion of contri-
buttons in the form of statute labor
mark the development of highway
work in the United States during the
past IL years. These facts are brought
out by statistics for the calendar year
1915, recently compiled by the Office
of Public Roads and Rural Engineer
ing of the department.
The total length of public roads IN
the United States outside Of the limits
of Incorporate towns and cities was
about 2,452,0 900 miles on January 1,
1916. Of this, about 1000 miles OF
lib per cent, were improved with
some form of surfacing. The mileage
of surfaced roads has been increasing
at the rate of about 10000 miles
year, and in 1915 approximately one
half of this increase was made under
the supervision of the state highway
departments. In addition, these de-
partments supervised the maintenance
of nearly $1,000 miles of main ard
trunk line roads.
The increase in expenditures fer
road and bridge work in the United
States has been from approximately
$50, OOO, 900 per year in 1904 to about
1892, 10000 in 1915, an increase of
more than ESQ per cent. The expen-
diture of state funds during this same
period increased from about 81, $50, 600
to more than $50 10000 In addition,
more than $27,OOO,OOO of local funds
was spent under state supervision in
1915, bringing the total road and
bridge expenditures managed by the
states to $50, 514,699. This amount is
greater than the total expenditures
for roads and bridges from all sources
in 1904.
The growth in Importance of the
state highway departments has been
rapid. The first of these agencies was
created in 1891 in New Jersey and now
some form of highway department
exists in every state except Indiana,
South Carolina and Texas. Since their
inception these departments had ex-
pended to January 1, 1916, an aggre-.
gate of $265, $50, 1926 in state funds for
road and bridge construction. They
had constructed over $4,000 miles of
roads in cooperation with the counties.
More than 100000 miles of these roads
were surfaced.
The falling off in the value of road
work performed by statute and con-
vict labor was from $4,000, 900 in 1904
when the total road expenditures were
$SO,OO0,O00, to about $15,00O,00O in
1915, when the total expenditures had
grown to 1892, 100000. This was a
reduction fom Is per cent of the total
in the former year to less than 51z
per cent of the total in 1916.
An increase in the use of better and
more expensive types of roads also is
shown by the recently compiled sta
tistics. This development has been
due in large part, to the great increase
! in automobile traffic. It is estimated
that there are now approximately two
and one-half million automobiles in
use on the roads of the country, or
one car for every mile Of road. This
present motor traffic is in excess Of
traffic Of all sorts II years ago.
The cash road and bridge expendi-
lures Of the United States averaged
only $28 per mile Of rural roads in
1904. In 1915 this average had
grown to $1O9 per mile. New Jersey
led all other states, both in 1904 and
in 1915, with 1921 and $465 per mile,
respectively. Nevada made the least
expenditures in both .years-$3.72 per
mile in 1904 and SIT per mile in 1915.