The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-21
Broad, High Grade Mac adam Road Can Be Built to TaylOr's for Less
 Than $160,000
CAN DECIDE UPON
 GRADE OF PAVING
 AS ROAD SETTLES
Railroad Necessary to Get Full Bene- fits, But Much Advantage Can Be Secured By Immediate
 Use of Trucks

Jefferson county IS spending annually approximately S25O,OOO for the construc- tion of permanent roads, for the building of bridges and for repairs on roads all ready built.
 For a sum less than $16OOO0. a broad, high grade road of the best construction with a maximum grade of per cent, can be built from Birmingham to the banks of the Warrior river at Taylors Ferry.
 Since the engineers are practically agreed that no highway should be paved for several months after it is built, maybe for a year, the question of securing a satisfactory road to the river at once is a matter that is occupying the attention of the men prominent in business and industrial affairs of the district.
 With the entire community agreed that there should be an adequate roadway leading to the banks of the river at a point best suited for loading freight, a movement is now on foot looking to some immediate action along this line.
 HALF OF ROAD BUILT
 The survey recently made by County Engineer Clark showed that the distance from Ensley to the river by the Taylor's Ferry road was 24.5 miles. Of this dis tance, 12 miles is already built and macad- amized and is in fair condition. It is shown by the figures compiled by the engineers that this stretch of roadway leading from Bnsley half the distance to the Warrior can be placed in best of con- dition, cut down to a maximum grade of ? per cent and broadened to meet specifi- cations which have been outlined for the Warrior highway, by an expenditure of S45, 900.
 It was also shown by the engineers re- ports that over the additional distance to the river of 12.5 miles, a highway of the test construction of sufficient breadth to meet the requirements laid down in the specifications and of not over 2 per cent grade, can be built for $111, ,972. .S5. Thus it will be seen that by an expendi- ture of less than S16O, ,OOO Jefferson county and Birmingham can be connected with the Warrior by the desired roadway. The matter of paving the road, it is claimed, can then be taken up at later date. DELAY UNNECESSARY Local industrial and business men point out that it would not be the part of wis dom to wait many months for the road to settle sufficiently for paving before the district gained any of the benefits of the stream They contend that for this ex- penditure of less than $160000, which is only two-thirds of the annual expendi- ture by the county for roads and bridges, the desired connection can be had at once.
 It is pointed out that the construction of this road would be in line with the policy of the present board of revenue and the wishes of the people in building each year number of miles of perma- nent roads. In recent years. fine roads have been built through the eastern part Of the county toward Leeds to the north toward Warrior, and to the south over the mountain and to the Shelby county llne. The construction of this road, which would serve the western part of the county as well as the other parts of the county would be heartily approved by the people of Bessemer it is reported.
 TAYLOR'S FERRY ROUTE
 In support of the claim that Tay- lor's Ferry is the right road to build, local men point to the fact that the report of County Engineer Clark aNld City Engineer Kendrick, which showed two routes as feasible, practically de- clared that the Taylor's Ferry was the best route for the purposes desired. It was pointed out that at Taylor's Ferry the main body of the river is reached, which in itself is considered big item in the matter of securing better transportation facilities.
 At the point on the river which would be reached by this proposed route there is sufficient breadth in, the stream to allow for easy turning and handling of strings of barges such as are used on the river, while on the Locust Fork the stream is narrow and turning would be difficult.
 FREIGHT BY TRICKS