The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1917-01-23
ROAD :
BUILDING
COST OF ROADS AND BRIDGES
construction Expenditures Have In.
creased Nearly FourfoId In the
Past Twelve YeaSa.

Prspared b. the United States Dep.rt.
ment OF Agricultuxe.)
Expenditures for the construction of
roads and bridges in the United States
nave increased nearly fourfold in the
past twelve years, while a greater and
greater proportion of the amounts ex-
pended have come to be paid out UNI
Ger state supervision. At the same
ume there has been q marked decrease
IN the proportion of contributions to
road building in the form Of statute
labor. These facts are brought out by
statistics recently compiled by the of,
nee of Public Roads and Engineering
'of the United States department of az.
'ficulture.
The total length Of public roads In
the United States outside the limits Of
incorporated towns and cities was
about 2,452,OO0 miles on January 1.
1915. OF this, about 277,OOO miles, or
lib per cent, were improved with some
form Of surfacing. The mileage of sur
FACED roads has been increasing at the
rate of about 10000 miles q year, and
In 1915 approximately one-half of this
increase was made under the supervise
Ion Of state highway departments. In
addition these departments supervised
the maintenance of nearly $1,000 miles
Of main and trunk-line roads.
The increase in expenditures for
road and bridge work in the United
States has been from approximately,
$8O,OOO,OOO per year in 1904 to about
$2S2,OOO,OOO in 1915, an increase OF
more than $50 per cent. The expendi-i
ture of state funds during this same
period increased from about $500. 600
to more than $53,OOO,OOO. In addition,
more than $27,OOO,OOO Of local funds
was spent under state supervision In
1916, bringing the total road and
bridge expenditures managed by the
states to $8O,514, 500. 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 ex-
lists in every state except Indiana,
South Carolina and Texas. Since their
inception these departments had ex.
pended to January 1, 1915, an aggre-
gate of $265 ,35O,825 in state funds fol-
road and bridge construction, main.
tenance, and administration. They had
constructed over $4,000 miles Of roads
in cooperation with the states. More
than 10000 miles Of these roads were
surfaced.
The falling of in the value of road
work performed by statute and convict
labor was from $20,OOO,OOO in 1904
when the total road expenditures were
j$8O,OO0,OO0, to about $15,OO0,OOO il
1915 when the total expenditures ha6
grown to 1922, 100000. This was a re
'duction from 25 per cent of the total
in the former year to less than 5h pei
cent of the total in 1915.
An increase in the use Of better and
more expensive types of roads also Il
shown by the recently compiled sta
tistics. This development has been due
in large part, to the great increase II
automobile traffic. It is estimated thai
there are now approximately two ant
a half million automobiles in use OF
the roads of the country, or one cal
I for every mile of road. This presen
motor traffic is in excess Of traffic o.
all sorts IL years ago.
The cash road and bridge expend1
lures of the United States averaged
only $28 per mile of rural roads IL
| 1904. In 1915 this average had grown
to S1O9 per mile. New Jersey led al
other states both in 1904 and in 1915
with 1921 and $475 per mile respective
ly. Nevada made the least expendi
ture in both years-$3.72 per mile II
1904 and SIT per mile in 1915.