Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-11-22
THE STATE TRUNK HIGHWAY
SYSTEM
BY F. A. Cannon, Secretary Of Good
Roads Association.

At last Wisconsin is literally on the
map with state highway system. The
year and half fight Of the Good Roads
Association of Wisconsin is showing its
first tangible results.
The legislative State Trunk Highway
committee and the Wisconsin Highway
Commission have completed their
labors after weeks sp9nt in hearings
throughout the state trunk highways,
and the official maps have been filed
with each county clerk.
Heretofore wisconsin has been
operating in the location Of highways
on the town and county units. The
town boards laid out and built the
town roads; the county boards laid out
the county roads under the state aid
system, and either the county or the
towns determined, where construction
should be done.
The state trunk highway act means
the entrance of new road unit of
highway planning, construction, main
tenance and road marking-the state.
The work Of laying ont the system is
complete The total mileage Of road
shown on the new state trunk highway
map is 1889 49, The system as re-
quired under the law inter connects
every county seat and city of 5000
population. 1t includes the main
arteries radiating TO all parts Of the
state; from the boundary line at
Illinois to Lake Superior, from Lake
Michigan to the Mississippi river, a
web Of roads weaves the state together.
What is the next step? Next year
the state Will take over the mainten
ance Of the entire system. 1t will not
wait until the roads are constructed.
There will be new type OF nainten-
ance- patrol maintenance, common in
Europe for years and more recently in
our eastern states. The 5000 miles Of
road will be divided into patrols Of
from six to eight miles, with patrol
man in charge. His duty will be to
drag the road, see that the drainage is
chuck holes are filled and ruts smooth
ed out, etc. This will mean a revolu
tion in highway maintenances in this
state. La the past we have built roads
and let them deteriOrate to point
where partial reconstruction was
necessary. In the future we will
rating, and keep them in as adequate
shape as their present condition per
mits. And there are hundreds of
miles of gravel, macadam and dirt roads
in Wisconsin that can be vastly i'm
proved by consistent maintenance.
There is available for the purpose of
maintenance of the trunk highways
$3.50, 900 year, or about $3.50 per mile.
There are indications that next year a
portion of the construction fund avail
able may be used for maintenance,
b inging this fund to almost 81 900 900
o. 5000 per mile, and bringing immed
late results to all parts of the state.
The next feature that will be appar
ent in 1918 is the road marking. The
state will adopt standard road sign,
ere ct these signs on the state trunk
highways, number the roads, and num-
ber the signs accordingly. The state
will also issue map of the system to
be sold to the public at a cost not
exceeding ten cents per copy.
The final feature is construction.
Under the terms of the federal road act
Wisconsin will receive in 1918 19 30
approximately $1,000, 900 for highway
construction. The state required to
make available an equal amount
Under the trunk highway act the coun
ties are required to appropriate an
amount equal to the state-which
means $4,000, 900 in all for constru ction
in the three year period under the state
trunk highway act. In addition, by an
amendment of the state aid law one
half of the money available under that
act must be spent on the trunk high
ways for construction, which will
mean about $1,000,000 year more or
So, 200, 900 for construction.