Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-03-30
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LW. w, MARI, State Highway


It won't be long before Illinois Will
be famous for her good roads instead
of notorious for her bad opes, II the
present enthusiasm for better roads
continues to grow in the, next few
years as it has In the last year or 60
1t was a big step out of the mud
for Illinois when the 1913 legisla-
ton passed the Tice road and bridge
law, which provided for a systematic
method OF improving the roads to
make. them commensurate with the
standards Of progressiveness which the
state has set for herself in other mat
ters. 4f "A
The Tice road and bridge law pro-
vides for the construction Of a con-
nected system of permanent roads,
built at the joint expense of the state
and county. In counties Of the first
class Is per cent OF the entire road
mileage of the county is to be i'm
proved with the help Of the state; in
counties OF the second class 20 per
cent, and in counties of the third class
25 per cent. -. ~
Counties Submit Road Maps. i
Immediately after the passage of
this law the state highway depart
ment proceeded tossoutlfne a system OF
roads to be known % state aid roads,
to be improved in accordance with the
provision OF the new road law. 60
The county boards Of the various
counties were called upon to prepare
maps Of their counties showing the
roads which they desired to designate
as state aid routes. These maps were
then revised by the state highway
commission so as to connect the vari-
GUS routes of the individual counties:
the ultimate result being that there
was developed a comprehensive plan
for a. system Of permanent roads.
Sixteen thousand miles of roads are
included in the designated state aid
routes out Of a total mileage Of &c.
900. It is conservattvely estimated
that these routes. which are designated
for state aid improvement while but
II percent Of the total state mileage.
carry fully so per cent or the traffic. 20
The legislature inri1a13 appropriated
$1,000, geo for state1abt iroad work Tor
the biennium Of 1881 Es The follow
Ing session Of the 1egt1tsture In 1915
appropriated 1000. 300 forthe hiennium
Of 1861. These tapproprta tons are
allotted to the countjes in the proper
ton Of the road and1 bridge tax OF the
county and must be net by like sums
before they can be available to the
county. ~ T. s"s ' =
State Aid WSsk Ia 1915. 4,7is-ta
At the close Of thu last calendar year
there had been constructsd some ll0
miles Of state aid roads, Of which so.5
miles are of concrete I2e.4 miles are
brick, IL miles are gravel, and one mile
macadam There were DISC eighty lone
bridges included in the state aid work
I'D to this time. The'tota cost OF this
construction was $1,4b7.407, which was
met equally by the state and counties.
Besides the state AID road construc-
ton mentioned, the state highway de-
partment supervised1'ths building OF
some eighty-two miles Of township
roads in the state in 1915. These roads
were paid for by the +t0wnships by
means of somes pecial tax or bonds.
The state highway department as"
sumed supervision Of the construction.
loaned to the townshtpCthe road ma
chinery owned by the state and some-
times furnished q man 70 operate some
of the machinery furnished.
In many cases stone Tor some OK
these roads were furnished free to the
township from the quarries at the two
state penitentiaries. r,%l's r. =. e..
This year a good many Of the coun-
ties will use their state aid allotments
for the purpose Of constructing oileo
earth roads. There ia great deal OF
enthusiasm in the state Just at present
for this type Of road, altho there are
many road experts who are quite
skentical as to the econolnic value OF