The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1919-08-27
Redwood Roads
Present and Future
j. A. MYRON WRITES or WHAT
HAS BEEN DONE AND WHAT
WILL BE DONE

LOL -. -. myTOH, REDWOOD County
Highway Engineer, has prepared the
following article on Redwood County
Roads and their construction.
Some of you may not be fully aware
Of the program of construction and
maintenance of State Roads in Red
wood County. and would like to know
something of the prospective work.
To begin with, let us see what we
have in our county.
State Road No. /. from Morton to
the Lyon County line via Redwood
Falls, Vesta and westward, has a to-
tai length OF 1926 miles, exclusive
of the portions inside of cities and
villages, and is all gravelled.
State Road No. 2. from the Brown
County line northeast of Springfield
to point 27a miles north from Nor
gan, and including the spur to Way.
burne, has a total length of 12.75
miles, also excluding the portion
through Morgan, and is gravlleed.
State Road No. 3, from Morgan
west has total length Of 24.75 miles,
of which the first 81a miles from Nor
gan is now constructed and gravelled.
State Road No. A. from the Wabas-
of Willow Lake Township, is 8 miles
long, Of which about 2 miles is gray
elled.
State Road No. 5, from the Brown
County line to the Lyon County line
via Lamberton, Revere and Walnut
Grove, is p miles long, exclusive Of
the parts inside the villages. and is
gravelled.
State Road No. 6, which is known
as the Wabasso-Lamberton road, is
"a miles long, and is gravelled.
State Road No. Z, Seaforth to the
Minnesota River via Belview, is 14.25
miles long and is gravelled.
State Road No. 8, from Milroy south
and west. is 10 miles long, and about
2 miles is gravelled.
State Road No. 9. known as the
Morgan Road, is 1925 miles long. "A
part of this road was gravelled last
year, and the balance is being put on
as fast as possible under very adj
verse conditions.
State Road No. 10, the Redwood
Sanborn road, is 1925 miles long. This
is being gravelled at the Sanborn end,
and was gravelled under the Elwell
road law from Redwood to the south
township line of Redwood Falls Town
ship.
State Road No. IL. from the Vel
low Medicine County line northwest
of Belview to Delhi, is graded, ex-
cept short portion now being com
pleted on the west end, and is about
51a miles long.
State Road No. II, from Vesta
through Lucan to the Black and Yei-
low Trail, is 1876 miles long, and is
gravelled.
State Road No. 13. from the Nor
gan road south through Clements to
the Brown county line north of Spring
field, has 5 miles of gravelled road on
the north end, 6.5 miles of graded
road now being completed on the
south end, and 51a miles to be graded
between these two sections.
State Road No. IA, from the Cot
tonwood county line south of Walnut
Grove north through that village to
a point in the northerly part of Gales
Township and thence west to connect |
with State Road No. 8, is now being |
built south of Walnut Grove, and the
north portion of this road will be |
built as soon as plans can be pre-
pared and contracts let. probably not |
till late this fall.
You can readily see that Redwood
County is blessed with great share I
of State Roads. Of eighteen counties
in the southwestern part of Minnesota
Redwood County has the most miles
by about fifty. It is a mignty-b;g
to keep all these roads In
good shape. There are many things
to consider in maintaining a road
Leaving out the money
question, which you all know is nee
essary. there comes first, equipment.
The county owns about thirty grad
ars of various kinds, all small ones,
which are used by the men who drag
the roads. There are also four or
five heavy planerS, which are drawn
oy small tractors in most cases. These
planners do the best work of all. as
they are too long to drop into the
small depressions, and have ten
lency to carry dirt and gravel from
he humps and deposit it in the hol-
ows. The old style short steel drags
ire almost unused on the State Roads
n this county, as they are too short,
ma are more lldUlG u lHdhE UuIup S
han to cut them down.
We have also, through the NUM-
icient kindness of Uncle Sam, large
20 horsepower Holt Caterpillar Trac-
or. This machine is very easy on ]
he road surfaces, as it has such a |
arge bearing surface. The machine
las 70 horsepower on the draWbar. Fl
md will march along with two Of the
heaviest grlders built, without Il
truggle. It will also tow heavy trail
RS full Of gravel Or crushed stone IN
rains Of nine or more. Part OF the X
government allotment to this county ]
vas 4 fleet of five Nash Quad trucks,
which the county has had equipped
With two yard dump bodies, for
.ravel hauling. Three Of these trucks +
re at present in commission along
With two Of Swain e Palmers trucks,
ngaged in regravelling the north i've
niles of the Wabasso road. The cat
rp7llar is being placed on the Back
= Ill i