Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-03-27
PREPARING FOR BUSY
SEASON ON HIGHWAYS
Engineer Num- Preparing Re-
por:. Where Work Will
Be Performed

The state highway commission started
/ work today to secure funds to carry
out plans for the coming year. This
will require the use of the remainder of
the $6,000,000 road bonds authorized fol
1918, and amounting to $1,5O0,O00. Au-
thority to sell the bonds was asked to.
day by the commission Of the author
have been approved by the federal
capital issues committee, it is probable
that this will be done at once.
A report is being prepared by State
Engineer Mum, which will be submitted
at the next meeting of the highway com.
mission, of the work now under con-
tract, and of that which is planned.
These plans are tentative only at the
present time, but contracts have been
awarded by the commission requiring
the expenditure of approximately
$2,800,0O0 This is evenly divided over
the state, and with the exception of
the Pacific and Columbia highways, no
one road is featured.
The Pacific Highway.
The commission is working at present
to get an even grade established over
the state. Hard surfacing is being done
in some sections, and more is author
lied, but the most of the money is to
be spent on grades. When the year is
over it is hoped to have the entire Co
lumbia highway graded, but the present
plans call for only about 10 miles Of
new pavement.
When the work now contracted for
and started on the Pacific highway is
completed this year, the entire 275 miles
of road from Portland to the California
line will have been graded and macad-
hed with the exception Of a Is mile
stretch in Josephine county, Work on
the Pacific highway which will be fin
ished this year calls for the expenditure
of $783,277, including $348,000 for paw
ing tho road from SaIem north to the
Clackamas county line. Pavement is
authorized in Clackamas county, but it
is very improbable that this will be
started this year.
South of Salem.
South of Salem on the Pacific high
way the grading work being done is
extensive. The Pass Creek canyon
road, which has been one of the worst
stretches of road in the state, is in
process of being graded, and the motor
ious Rice Hill will be reduced to an easy
grade. $4,000 is being spent between
Yoncalla and Oakland, over Rice Hill;
$57 900 between Comostock and Lane;
and $4,000 between Comstock and Di-
vide.
South of Roseburg the Roberts Hill
grade, near Myrtle Creek will be cut
down and practically eliminated at a
cost of $4,000. in the same section
two bridges are to be built over the
Umpqua river at a cost of $4,000. In
Josephine county grading is completed
costing $4,000 and the Wolfe Creek
Grave creek hill will be cut down at
cost of $4,000.
In Jackson County.
In Jackson county grading costing.l
10000 is to be finished this year, and
paving costing $1S, 500 is also planned
for the summer. North of Salem the
will be paved for Is miles,
and with an additional mile by the
county, 10 miles will be paved. This
nay be stetehed to cover 81 miles as
t is possible that the funds available /
5or the work win be more than is re-
luired for the is miles.
The road between Salem and Jeffer-I
on is still in more or less uncertain !,
tate. Three routes are possible, two
'eing over the hills, and one by way |