The Mena weekly star., 1920-12-09
Good PROGRESS
ON BIG HIGHWAY
Three Crews Graders Going, Another
Next Week-Culvert and Bridge
Work Well Adyanced-Only Bad
Weather Can Check Work.

Work OF building Poik county pOf-
ton of the great lakes-to-the gulf
road, the Jefferson highway, has not
been halted by the weather. the cleo
ton results, low priced cotton, the
changes in the moon, or any other
causes.
Without any sounding of trumpets
or other manner Of boasting, the work
of highway building has gone quietly
ahead. until the present time shows
that substantial progress has been
made.
It has only been little more than
month since the first money was re-
ceived from the sale of bonds. This
initial payment injected new life in the
progress and brought a decided in
crease in activity.
Some work had been done on the
section of the road leading north from
Mena. prior to the receiving of the first
bond money. This was done by the
general contractors, Early q Jones.
Since the initial payment of bond
money was received, this work north
of Mena was pushed still further
northward. until today there are four
miles of graded road north of the city.
About four miles more yet remain to
be graded before the national forest is
reached.
Connect With Sewer County.
In addition to the work north, the
firm of PleVins 4 Johnson started
work on the south end. At the point
where the Sewer county hard road
l. Al D.
& Johnson have started grading north
ward and at last reports had almost
reached Grannis, having completed
three miles of grading.
From Mena, the highway travels due
west and on this section of the road
three miles have been graded, the work
being done by Early, Jones & Lybrand
and a sub-contractor, DIR. Booth Hope.
Next week work on fourth section
of the road will start at Wickes. A.
C. Higinbottom has taken contract
to grade the road from Wickes south
and meet Blevins G Johnson, working
north, somewhere near Grannis.
Making Drain Pipe in Mena.
In addition to the grading contracts
the Bell Sales Company, which has
the contract for supplying the con-
crete pipes for drainage, has been
busy the past month The company
has installed part Of the pipes on the
south end, and nearly all needed on the
north end, as far as the grading has
progressed The company makes the
concrete pipes in sizes from Is to 4S
inches, in Mena, having a real fac
tory, most of the time employing 10
men.
Culyert and Bridge Work.
Another portion of the work of
highway building is being performed
by the Biodgett Constructing Conn
pany, which is building the bridges
along the big road. The company has
built all the smaller bridges on the
north end of the road and has placed
concrete abutments for some of the
larger ones. The smaller bridges are
of concrete, and the largest yet built
on the north end is l6-foot bridge of
the double culvert kind.
West of Mena the Blodgett COM
pany has built five small culvert-
bridges and is preparing the abut-
ments for the steel bridges which will
cross Rock creek and other streams
between Mena and Potter. 1t is be-
tltNGu bffdt Tic tiIbL OI the Dig steer
bridges will be started within the next
80 days.
On all three sections of the road,
the work Of clearing the rigiit-of way
Is well ahead of the work of grading,
and the grading in two sections Is
ahead Of the work of pipe laying.
Hope Soon to Spread Gravel.
1t is hoped to start the work of
spreading gravel within the coming
month, but it is not certain this can
be done.
j. F. Haley of the Southwestern
Engineering company, which is di-
recting the work of road building.
states that the gravel cannot be put
on a soft sub-base, that the dump be
given time to settle so that ii can be
firmly set after being properly rolled.
Engineer Haley, who is now pro-
pairing estimates for the second pay
ment Of bond money, states that It
will take some extra bad weather con
dition to stop work on the highway.
At the present time almost 100 men
are working in different portions Of
the building of the highway. Early.
Jones q Lybrand and DR.. Hope em-
ploy the most, having 55 on their
payroils: These firms also use 3s
teams Of mules.