The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1920-09-09
TO SPEED UP
WORK ON THE.
RICHLAND ROAD
Kennewick and Richland Com
mercial Clubs to Work for
Immediate Action.
AWANT NEW BRIDGES USED
Trenbath Says Contract for New
Road to Be Let as Soon as the
Right-of-way Can Be Had.

As result of discussion at We'd
nesday's luncheon the Kennewick and
Richland Commercial clubs have
launched a joint effort to secure the
speedy Improvement of the Inland En-
pire highway between this city and
Richland.
Some time ago the Richland Com
mercial club appealed to the local club
for its assistance in speeding up work
on this stretch Of the state road. At
the invitation of President E. w.
Trenbath, Harry Wheelhouse and r.
D. Sawyer attended Wednesdays
luncheon as representatives of the
Richland organization.
Mr.. Wheelhouse called the local
clubs attention to the fact that al
though the new bridge across the
Yakima had been completed for some
time it had not been put into use and
apparently nothing was being done to-
ward constructing approaches so that
it could be put into use. He called
attention to that fact that unless the
approaches are built before high wat
er season there is grave danger of the
old bridges going out and Richland
will again be isolated. Mr.. Wheel
house also deplored the present condi-
ton Of the road between here and
Richland and said the Richland fruit
growers could not haul their fruit over
it in it's present condition without
injury to the fruit.
Replying to Mr.. Wheelhouse, Mr..
Trenbath assured the Richland visi-
tors that the people of Kennewick rec
ognized their vital interest in keep
ing the road between the two towns
in good condition. He further explain
ed that delay in putting the new bridge
into commission was due to misun-
derstanding between the state high
way department and the county COM
missioners as to whose duty it is to
secure the right-of- way for a change
in the road across the Yakima river
flats. He explained that during the
last session of the legislature an
agreement was reached whereby the
state highway department was to allot
$4,000 to be expended on the road
from Richland west provided the coun-
ty would match this with another
$4,000. To this the state highway
commissioner agreed to add $4,000
Of federal road funds, making total
of $4,000.
With this understanding the work
Of building the bridge was undertake
en-. The cost of, the bridge was in the
neighborhood of $4,000. The federal
funds, however, were not available un-
til July of this year and in order to
complete the bridge it was necessary
for the county to advance an addition
al sum in excess Of the joint state and
county fund of $4,000. The use of
federal funds on state roads is hedged
about by rigid restrictions. This nec-
essitated the elimination of some OF
the turns across the flats and the
state department surveyed new road
from the Griffith corner across the
flats through the Claybelle ranch to
the new bridge, a route which will
put the road above flood water.
The county commissioners have been
of the opinion that the right-of-way
for the new road would be secured by
the state while the state had been de-
pending upon the county. AS result
the new bridge was completed before
any right-of-way had been secured.
Mr.. Trenbath stated that he was
now negotiating with C. o. Kale, own
er of the Claybelle ranch and that ne
expected to have the right-of-way
matter cleared up by the end of the
week. Delay on building the ap-
proaches he said was due to the wish
OF the state to make this work a part
OF the new road and to let one con-
tract for the whole work. If title to
the right-of-way can be secured In
time this contract will be let the first
week in October, if not it will have to
60 over until the first week in No
vember. F>.s
Mr.. Trenbath explained that failure
TO improve this end of the highway