The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-05-16
STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

In order to acquaint the various
counties, civil subdivisions and inter-
csted parties of the state who are in
terested in cooperation with the State
Highway Department in the building
of state roads in their respective
counties and subdivisions, and to APP
prise them Of the policy so far adopt
ed by the Department as to how to
proceed under the amended Halves
law, the Department authorities the
following statement:
The Board organized by electing E.
L. Sanford, Chairman; George E. Nc
Ininch, Vice-C Chairman; John M. Ma
lang, State Highway Superintendent
and x-Officio Secretary of the
Board; Alexander w. Graham, State
Highway Engineer; ]. Russell Ellis,
LIST assistant State Highway Engineer
and Kirk Mcfarland, End Assistant
State Highway Engineer.
The Department upon the advice
of the Engineer divided the state into
six districts and will Immediately
place resident engineer in each dis
trict, whose duty it will be to confer
with the local authorities, view and
lay out state roads and advise with
them cs to the best methods and pol
icy to pursue to have the same sur
veyed as soon as possible. The De-
partment has laid out tentative sys-
tenn of state roads to comply with the |
provisions of the amended Halves law |
that will come under that part Of the |
law that provides for $4,000 per
mile of state and federal aid to be used
without cost to the counties. 1t will
be the duty of the district engineer to
call upon the various counties of their
respective districts, view the roads
after consulting local authorities and
they will decide whether or not the
roads viewed and agreed upon by the
district engineer and the local author
tiles shall be improved as provided
in the amended Halves law in the g.
900 mile system. After the State
Highway Department has acted up
on the recommendation of the resident
engineer he will then advise with the
counties, subdivisions or interested
parties, the best method of having the
road surveyed and plans prepared.
Under the provisions of the law the
State Highway Department is author
lied to make surveys and deduct the
cost from the $4,000 per mile of
| such survey not to exceed $4,000 per
mile. 1t also provides that a county,
civil subdivision or interested party,
may secure their own engineer and
make their own survey at their cost,
provided such survey complies with
1.-THE requirements of the State Highway
Department and meets with the APP
lproval of the Bureau of Public Roads
lat Washington. The district engineer
will advise with the counties and in
struct them and their engineers as to
the kind of survey and plans that will
be required and in no case should a
county, civil subdivision or interested
party, start such survey until they
have advised with the district engi-
neer or the State Highway Engineer.
The law contemplates a road i'm
proved in each county before the coun-
ty shall receive aid on two roads under
that part of the Act that gives to the
h counties $4,000 per mile without
o cost.
s Now, in order that all will fully I'M
;, derstand, it does not follow that the
r 81, 10000 per mile will be spent on
: any state road unless the $1,20O.0O
: per mile is ample to build road sub
stantial in character that will take
care of the needs of the community,
: taking into consideration the popula-
| ton, traffic and road materials at
, hand; always remembering that all
projects for road improvement must
, meet with the approval of the State
, Highway Department and the Bureau
of Public Roads.
Where counties, civil subdivisions
or interested parties provide for their
I own surveys at their cost it will mean
, Just that much more money to be spent
, in their locality. In other words, If
surveys and plans are furnished by
, counties, subdivisions or interested
parties, they will receive the cost of
such survey up to $4,000 per mile
will be deducted from the $1,2O0.00.
E Section 10 of the amendemtns to the
Halves road law provides that in adj
dition to the roads provided for in
! Sections 8, ga, 8b and &c of the
amendments any county, civil subdi-
: vision of the state or county or per-
' sons interested, desiring the construc-
ton of any state road of part thereof
may present the matter in writing to
the State Highway Board, desingnat-
ing the type or kind of road desired,
. the beginning and terminal Of such
o road, and thereupon the Board may
3 direct the highway engineer to view
4 the proposed road of such county, civ
: il subdivision or interested party, pro-
vided, however, that the highway en-
gineer shall be authorized to accept
v the survey plans, specifications and
. estimate of costs made and furnished
v by such county, civil subdivision or
= persons interested, provided the same
= comply with and meet the require
:, ments of said engineer and the fed
q eral bureau of public roads, and if the
i department decides to cooperate in the
q improvement of such project, and such
!. project is not in the 5000 mile system
- as provided for in the amendemts,
i, the departement will instruct the
" county, civil subdivision or interested
q party to build such road as provided
! for in the law and pay one-half the
), cost of such construction, but in no
!, case should county, civil subdivision
: or interested party make a survey,