The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1919-05-01
NORTH AND SOUTH HIGHWAY
TO EXCEL RENOWNED
COLUMBIA ROAD
Office Engineer of State Highway Department. A. L. Kahl
Gives Interesting Summary of Idaho's
Road Program.

Office Engineer A. l.. Kah. of the
state highway department at Boise, in
an exhaustive and comprehensive sum
mary of the states road program for
the next two years, shows up many
interesting features of the North and
South highway and the approximate
amount of money that will be available
for road purposes during the next two
years
The legislature made the following
appropriations for the highway de-
partmcnt: A 2-miu tax levy which
will bring in to the highway depart
ment approximately $1.S50.0O0 in the
next biennium. A 100000 bond issue
which will also he available for use
during the next two years. They also
passed bill which will be voted
upon by the people at the general
election in 1920, authorizing the sale
of state highway bonds in the amount
if S2.000,000 for the use of the high
way department during the years 1921
and 1929. Also during the years 1927
and 1922 the 2-mill tax levy will prob
ably raise two more million dollars
for highway work unless the next
session of the state legislature re-
pcals the two mill tax levy law.
Federal Fund Available.
At the present time the state of
Idaho has available from the federal
government approximately $620,0O0
After July l this year we will have
S1,142.00 more available from the
government and after July L. 1920
there will be approximately 81 ,202,0 ,00O
more available from the United States
government. These sums were appro-
priated hy congress in the federal aid
road act in 1916 and also by the post
office appropriation bill which only
recently passed congress. This money
is for use on roads that are or whicl
are likely to hc United States mai
routes. although sections of roads II
miles or less in length which connec
with mail routes may be improved
under this law. Also in accordance
with "A law passed by the Idaho legis
lature in 1917. this money can be uset
only on state highways.
In addition to the above sums o.
money that are or will be available
Idaho will have approximately $S64,
900 to be used on roads within or al
iacent to national fore1 reserves dur
ing the years 19l9-2O
This makes total amount of none,
government for highwy work in Ida
no during the next two years of 81,
994 900 In addition to this the vari
ous counties of the state will con
tribute probably $3.00O,000 more fo
state highways. This means that thu
state highway department will he /
very busy department during the mex
biennium.
!, Beats Columbia Highway.
, Since the adjournment of the legis
, lature the highway engineers office
has been formulating plans for thi,
years work Until we knew def
: nitely how much money we woult
, have available for highway work very
+, little could be done in the way O
starting our construction program
!, The first project which we hope tt
get under way is the one in whiel
every citizen of Idaho is, or should be
! Interested This project is the con
struction of the north and south high
&ay between New Meadows ant
Whitebird. We have already sent II
nm application for federal aid on thi
project to the United States bureau
of public roads. This project state
9 ment calls for an expenditure of $3.50,
+. 900 on 3O.5 miles of the line between
the two points named above. 1t il
: 81 miles from New Meadows I,
: Whitebird. but we do not have enough
. money available to construct the en-
tire 81 miles at the present time. Witt
this $650,000 we propose to conStruc
the highway over the sections wher
the present road is very bad and dan
= gerous. Naturally this means that w
are picking ont the most eXpenSiv
> work to do at this time. The averag
, cost of this 305 miles is over $1,000
u per mile. just for the grading an
drainage structures alone. Include
in this 300 miles is about three mile
Of work that will cost approximate
$4,000 per mile for the grading. w
have all heard about the wonderft
). Columbia River highway and the COS
. Of constructing the same For diff
: cult construction and cost. as far a
: the grading work goes. the north an
:, = south highway has the Columbia Rive
!. highway beat The construction G
: the road between New Meadows an
/, Whitebird is by far the greatest III
: dertaking, in the line of highway worl
that has been done in the northwes
Also after the entire 81 miles of thi
line is constructed ii will rival ore
CONS famous highway for. scenery.
L. TO Remove Barrier.
n When this 30.5 miles Of the mort
< and south highway are completed an
Is the % miles between Whitebird an
d Grangeville, which Is now under coi
y struction, is opened TO traffic ii
ir backbone of the great barrier b
Is tween the two ends OF Idaho wi
n have been broken. There will sti
be good many miles of this highwa