The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-23
Road Is Recommended in in a Report by the
 Pathfinders
8 COUNTIES TOUCHED
 IN NORTH ALABAMA
More Southerly Route Between Aus telle, Ga., and AnnistOn Vicinity Is Approved-Route Mapped
 in Sixteen Sections

The official route of the Bankheat
 highway from Atlanta to Memphis twas announced here yesterday by Col
 T. $. Plowman, president, in accord
 ance with the report of the specia
 pathfinding committee appointed al
 the session of the Bankhead Highway
 association here last April. ] The route traverses Cleburne, Cal.
 houn, Talladega and St. Clair coun.
 ties between Birmingham and the Georgia line, the more southerly of two proposed routes between Austell
 Ga, and the Anniston vicinity being selected. West of Birmingham and Jefferson county the route traverses
 Walker and Marion counties, touching
 the Fayette county line. The pathfinding committee appointed by Colonel Plowman includes Dr. w. M Riggs, president of Clemson colIepe Clemson College. s. C.; A. A. Camn. q
 prominent banker; Hale Houston, mem, per of state highway commission ot south Carolina, and Hon. Morris Fld ridge, engineer representing the United states office of public roads and road engineering. The pathfnders started a,
 August IA and carefully inspected the various routes that were proposed for
 the bankhead highway. After carefully gong over the various routes and re- turning to their respective homes, study ing the various maps and data that they had secured, meeting was held on Oc- otber b and 16 at, Clemson College. $ | C. After several days of deliberations they have made their report and rec ommendation of the official route of the Bankhead highway from Atlanta to Bir. mingham.
 The l6 sections of the route recom- mended are detailed as follows: THE OFFICIAL ROUTE l 1. Atlanta, Mableton, Austell
 z Austell, Lithia Springs, Douglasvillc l Winston, Villa Rica
 *4. Villa Rica, Carrollton, Bowden. Ran. burne Bell Mill. Heflin (see note B. f. Heflin, DeArmanville Oxford D. oxford, Munford, Talladega, Ste,r- ley, Easonville Cropwell. Pell City. s6. Pell City, Leeds (see note @. X Leeds, Lovick, Pole Cat Gap.
 -S. Pole Cat Gap Irondale. Gate City Woodlawn, Birmingham (see note S). g. Birmingham, Pratt City, AdamsyilIe Sayre, Summit
 Sl0. Summit, Dora, Cordova, Jasper 1 (see note 10).
 Il. Jasper, Kings, Townley. Carbon Hill
 F. Carbon Hill, Kansas. Eldridge Texas.
 13. Texas, Baccus Winfield. Twin Pearce's Mill, Hamilton, Barnesville *14 Gainesville, Bexar, Fremont. Full ton. Tupelo tsee note 1D. 415. Tupelo, Belden, Sherman, Blue Springs, Wallerville, New Albany, Glen field Myrtle, Hickory Flat Winburne Potts Camp, Holly Springs (see note 15). s1s. Holly Springs, Red Banks Vie toria, Byhalia (see note 15). Olive Brancf-Capleyville Memphis NOTES ON SECTIONS Notes referring to numbered paragraphs are contained in the report as follows: Paragraph g. The details of this route are as indicated on map of S. D. Brown engineer, September g, 1917 Exhibit A i Paragraph 6. The route proposed
 through Cook Springs (which we in- spected) appears to be impracticable
 and We therefore recommend that con | SlutTdllOIl Dt gwen DOtO- IO the new sur
 vey through Cook Springs (exhibit B,
 and to proposed route from Pell City
 to Leeds via Elbow Gap.
 Paragraph s. The committee was not
 given an opportunity to inspect the low
 CT route from Pole Cat Gap to Birming-
 ham. The recommendation of the com :
 mittee is based upon the assumption that
 the new location through lrondaIe and
 Gate City will be made to accord with
 the same standard as ..~dicated by that
 portion of the route already construct
 ed from Birmingham east to the con-
 crete bridge.
 Paragraph 10. This recommendation oi
 the route via Dora and Cordova is based
 upon the assumption that the curves upon
 this route, many of which are now con- sidered dangerous, be made to conform
 with the standards hereinafter recon
 mended.
 Para. IA. The selection of the route through Itawamba county Is predicted
 upon the documents submitted by D. w. Robbins, state highway commissioner of Mississippi, to the effect that funds are now, or will be, available to enter Into cooperation with the federal govern ment to construct the highway through this county. (See exhibit CD Para. 15 The committee recommends that the dangerous turns In Lee county be corrected in accordance with stan QaTQS neT6lHdLlcE IcCOHilHcuucN anu that the width of the gravel surfacing in the Holly Springs district, No. l, and Potts Camp district be increased from 10 to 16 feet. Para 16 It is our opinion that the Instructions in the town limits of By halia designed to prevent speeding can be constructed as dangerous "obsttruc- tions,' in the meaning of the specifi- cations for an improved highway. Your committee desires to state that it has accepted in good faith documen- tary evidence submitted by parties in contest These documents are herewith submitted for the information of the di- rectors Tn order to select the best route it was necessary to consider satisfactory proofs of future performances as well as present condition of the roads in spected
 The report continues:
 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS The committee wishes to make clear that many parts of the route selected are not in conformity with the standards