Imperial Valley press., 1919-01-31
HIGHWAY AFFAIRS.

Colonel Ed Fletcher, to assure sup
port OF the north half of Imperial
county, together with Riverside. and
San Bernardino counties, for the
Holtville Sandhill road, is desirous
Of enlisting the aid of San Diego for
the Brawley-Indio road. according to
an interview with Colonel Fletcher
published in the San Diego Trib
une.
The Bonsall-Oceanside road, also
! referred TO in the interview, will be
an integral part of the Brawley-
! Oceanside road, via Warmers ranch
CT Julian, still in the dim vista of
the future.
The San Diego Tribune's story fol-
lows:
"Much road work in San Diego
county by the State Highway Com
| mission is contemplated according to
members of the Chamber of Com
merce committee, which returned last
night from Sacramento, where men,
hers of the commission and the local
delegation of the Ie islature were in
terviewed on the Importance of bet
ter highways, especially completion
+ the paving from here to Imperial
Valley.
IN this connection, the State High
way Commission expects to come to
San Diego at an early date to go
over the situation, according to Col
onel Ed Fletcher, member of the
Chamber of Commerce committee,
who accompanied John Gillons, o. w
Cotton, Arthur Cosgrove and other
committeeman to Sacramento. Re
marding the mission of the commit
zee Colonel Fletcher made the fol- .
owing statement:
"'Tke net result of our trip is that
vye can expect one, and possibly two
more contracts on the San Diego-El
@entro highway, in addition to the
federal aid contract now being ad /
vertised to build from the Imperial
county line to the top of the Jacumba
divide. We are very desirous of hav-
ing a road built from Buchanan
Springs to the top of the Tecate di-
vide Immediately, if only graded.
The State of California will then
maintain at state expense the en-
tire road, paved or unpaved, from
San Diego to FL Centre.
'.'There are good prospects that.
we will get the road paved from
Flynn Springs to Viejas from the
funds now on hand. Another state
bond issue is being seriously consid-
cred to complete the roads now in
cluded in the state highway system.
"'The State Highway Commission
mas promised TO come to San Diego }
n the next few weeks and personal
~ Inspect the San Diego-El Centre |
route. There are two new members
on the board who know nothing OF |
ocal conditions. 4
while we were in Sacramento
delegation from San Bernardino
asked the State Highway Commits
sion to include in the next bond is
sue enough money to pave the road
from Barstow TO Needles, distance
If approximately $50 miles. Paving
s now absolutely assured from San
3elnardinc to Barstow, two-thirds
oaing paved by the county of San
3ernardino and one-third by the
Of road to be paved between Ell eCn-
Uro and Yuma to reach the Arizona
inc, it seems crime not to COM
olete our paved highway to Yuma
lirst a paved highway to Yuma is
worth as much to San Diego today |,
as a railroad Los Angeles is max
ing every effort to divert transcon-
rinental travel via Needles and Bar
stow direct to Los Angeles. eW must
take broad gauge view of this mat
ter and get Riverside, Orange, I'm
perial and San Diego counties to get
oehind the El Centro-Yuma road and
rave it paved Immediately. This
means that we must recognize River
side county's claim for a road into
Imperial county, and endorse that
as well Otherwise, Riverside coun-
VS. influence will go to the Needles
8arstow road, and there is every
reason to believe we will lose out
on the transcontinental travel with
a road paved from Barstow to
Needles.
While we were in Sacramento a
bill was introduced by Senators Ev-
ans Of Riverside and Sample which
aol'- FOR the making of the Ascon-
dlu1-I ..lDrook- -Temecula road state
highway from San Diego to River
side, also Bonsall TO Oceanside via
San Luis Rey mission, with the pro- |
vision chat each county must pave
its own roads and the state will then
take said highway over and forever .
maintain it. There is every indica- |
Al