The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1920-07-08
LOOKOUT PASS ROAD
SOON TO Be BUILT
Five Miles on Grade
Not Above 5
per Cent
APPROVED BY w. J.HALL
Commissioners Confer With
Mineral County and Are
Favorably Disposed

TT He Lookout road now seems as
sured. w. J. Hall. commits
sioner of public works. came up
from Boise last Saturday to in
vestigate the situation and determine
what could be done toward its con-
struction under the supervision of
the state. He was joined by c. j.
Bassett state highway engineer, and
these two, accompanied by Julius p.
Hall, county surveyor, went over
the proposed road. Tuesday Commits
siOner Hall conferred informally with
the county commissioners and it was
practically agreed to proceed with the
construction of the cutoff, the work
to be done under the supervision of
the state engineer. Prior to this con-
ference County Commissioners Keys
and Miller. accompanied by County
Surveyor Hall, had met the commits
sioners of Mineral county at Superior
and received assurance that they
would build to the summit from the
Montana side.
On a 5 Per Cent Grade.
The road to be constructed will be
five miles in length, on a per cent
grade and in all respects conforming
to the government standard. II is
estimated that 1t will cost possibly
$685. 600. and of this sum he county will
pay 100000 the state $4,000 and the
forest service $4,000. The new con-
struction will be from Lookout pass
down to Willow creek, where it will
strike the present Willow creek road
and which will be followed to its in
tersection with the present highway
at the National mill. The distance
from Willow creek to the National is
only about three quarters of a mile.
Practically nothing will be spent on
this section beyond repairing the
bridge across the South Fork, which
it is believed will meet the require
ments for the present The use of
this section of the Willow creek road
will be temporary, as the permanent
state highway will continue on the
south side of the river to Mullan.
Improvement of Great Importance.
The Miner has long advocated the
construction of the road by the way
of Lookout pass, but not until the
present board of commissioners came
in was there any favorable considera-
tion given the project. The change
will not only eliminate a dangerous
switchback and heavy grade, but it
will permit travel across the divide
from two to three months longer every
year. The present road has been a
serious obstacle to transcontinental
travel, and the opening of the Look
out pass cutoff will accomplish much
toward popularizing the Yellowstone
trail between Missoula and Spokane.
Mineral county is prepared to proceed
with the construction of the road from
the Montana side and if present plans
are carried out on both sides of the
line, the people of the two counties
will have opportunity to meet on the
summit at Lookout and celebrate the
of this important road en-
terprise this fall.
Continue Federal Aid.
People generally have observed that
both republican and democratic ma
iional platforms favor the continual
ton of federal aid and cooperation
With the states in the construction of
good roads, but it is probable that
not many of them are aware that this
favorable action was due in a great
measure to the efforts of W. J. Hall,
of public works, and
two associates representing the Ma
ional Good Roads association. With
both parties on record in favor of con-
inuing federal aid, and to make ex-
ira allowance TO those states which
are deprived of revenue by the pres
ance of national forests, the outlook
for extensive road construction is
most favorable, and for this fortunate