Cottonwood chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1917-current, 1919-02-07
DATA ON GREEN
CREEK CUTOFF
Facts and Figures Prepared by
Former State Representative
w. B. Hussman

10000 road bonds we thought that
this would be sufficient to COM
plete the projects under considera-
ton, the Greencreek Cutoff and
the change through Schnider's
just east of town and yet leave us
enough to build the North and
southstate highway which for a dis
tance of about four miles follows
the above route, thus leaving only
about three miles Of State High
way to build outside of the dis
tanee covered in the above named
projects. That we have been dis
appointed is not due to misappro-
priation or lavish expenditure of
the money at hand but in the
fact that we have placed the cost
of road building far below what
experience everywhere has proven
the same to be. The State High
way Commission through their
Engineer E. M. Booth placed the
cost of building the State High
way through our district at from
$25, 100000 to $3O,00O.00 his esti-
mate being based on an average
cost of 81, 100000 per mile for grad
ing dirt roads and exclusive of
right-of-way and culverts. Nothing
is revealed in the Commissioners
report published in last weeks
Chronicle to show that the origi-
nal estimate by the state engineer
was not nearly correct, in fact
their report shows that dirt was
moved even below his estimate.
But his estimate was figured on.
dirt grading with a small per cent
Of loose rock, nothing extra was
allowed should solid rock be en-
countered the cost of excavating
same being four times that of
loose earth. Nor did he make
allowance for right-of-way and
fencing or concrete culverts. We
understand that our commission
ers paid out for right-of-way and
fencing alone on the work so far
done, over $8,000.O0 and their re-
port shows an expenditure of
nearly 81, 100000 for concrete cul-
Verts.
Another item of interest in the
report is the saving made by the
commissioners IN the cost of con-
struction as handled by them
through their personal supervision
and that of the engineer in charge
as compared by the lowest bid re-
ceived from contractors to do this
work. These figures can not be
disputed, in fact are very easily
substantiated by comparison pri-
ces being paid on road work else
where. In the Lewiston Tribune
of Jan. 18th is a report of the
County Commissioners of Nez-
perez county awarding a contract
for building approaches to the
Clearwater and Big canyon creek
bridges at Peck to Albert C. Kes-
ter on the following bid: Exca-
walton, loose earth Zoe, loose rock
Zoe and solid rock $1.80 per yard.
And this contract was let just re-
Gently and should be considerably
lower than pre- war contracts, or
than those prevailing last summer
while work in our district was go
ing on. Also this work permits of
operations during the winter while
our work can only be done during
the summer. For work done in
our district, the commissioners re-
port shows that it cost them 36c
to move loose earth, Sic for loose
rock and $2.05 for solid rock.
While the cost for excavating solid
rock was higher than the bid on
the Peck bridge improvement,
yet it was zoe per yard lower than
any bid received by our board to
do the work. So taken as whole
we cannot complain of not getting
value received for the money ex.
, pended. That the bond money
did not go as far as we had hoped
for is a disappointment to all OF