The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1919-03-26
Concrete Roads Are Desirable if We Are Able to Build Them:
IA w Be Welt Find Out How Far Our Money Will Take Us

- ovrRNoR LARRAzOIo, in an address to the
good fonda meeting during the recent ieeis.
lhtivs session. an3 efsin yesterday IN his ad-
dress to The New Mexico cattle growers, expressed
fs denomination 10 zee TO Il that future roads
built Ia Nsu Mex,eo are built q ccnefeis. The pro
gram Is WY attractive II we arc able 20 consider
Il withoat also considering the cost and oar re-
sources for road construction. n Is pleasant 10
think aud talk Of roads which win not blow away
and vhirh viii last for the uee of our children aud
our grand children with no mort care than pefiodr
cal cleaning. such roads can be built but their con
atruction runs into a great deal n money.
II Is worth while 70 consider just how far our
present road building resources. and those 20 be-
msde availabie thrapgh state and federal co-opera.
ton during the neat icuf years, soald take rs IA
constructions bf thoroughly weii.huilt concrete high
wa,xA Through taxation aud n bond issue Ia be-.
submitted 20 ne people late tins year New Mexico
viii realize -four aud one half million dollars FOR
highway buildine. n abe people approve the plan
proposed by the legislature. This will be matched
By m equal sum from the federal government.
Therr win thus be- available a total o. nine million
dollars for post read projects % be built by the
state under federal approval and supervision.
How far viii that nine million dollars take ~
IN durable, well madf, concrete road construction
Responsible engineers have Informed the Her.
aid that under New Mexico conditions concrete
road construction. rs feet wide. that will stand M
under heavy traffic, VIII cost approximately se0OOO
a mile. N that estimate u not excessive our nine
million dollasD will build exactly $50 miles Of con.
crete highway. The distance from Ration TO the Tex.
M line, through New Mexico. n something more
than five hundred miles. Thus our nine million dol.
lars would fall short Of building one concrete high
way through the state frnm north to south.
II New Mexico were able 20 produce nine mil.
lion dollars every year or every three or four years
for investment IN highways the construction Of con.
crete highways only might be much more practical
Judging by our present revenue prospects an al.
concrete highway program 10 meet the road build.
nag needs Of oar state, could be completed By New
Mexico about the time our grandchildren would be
ready 20 drive trucks over them. and all the bills
probably would not have been paid.
We are soon to have a test Of concrete road
construction IN the building Of federal aid project
No. 26, the Alameda boulevard. out North Fourth
street 10 Alameda in this county. II the state IL 20
adop, am all-eonerets highway construction policy
the construction and cost Of Alameda boulevard will
be watched with intense interest by people in all
sections Of New Mexico.
N some provision for maintenance had been
made our rad money during the period since state.
hood would not have been wasted aud the roads
would not have been blown away. Unfortunately We
spent all our money ia building and reserved none
for up-keep. Even a concrete road will require up.
keep, as the experience Of ~ PaSo county. Texas
has demonstrated. With the states present re-.
sources, u might be more practical and we might
get considerably further IL we sh0Gld build macad.
am roads and save a little Of the roRd money for
Keeping those roads IN repair. What New McKee,
needs now aud for the rext decade il the maximum
OF good transportation service 20 be produced by
the road money at our command. II we can get the
money for a concrete boulevard construction pro.
gram covering the dozen or more main highway
projects that need building quickly, let M have il
by all means. But let Us be sure that we can get
The money M some way other than hy Milling up The
load on the Taxpayers. Counting the cost il always
a disagreeable feature Of empire building, bat il
pays 20 count II IN advance.