Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-03-11
State Bridge Work

A statement made at tie ONCE OF
| the State Highway Commission says
that by the passage Of an amendment
| to Chapter 319 Of the laws Of 1915,
the Legislature changed the proper
tional parts Of the cost Of bridge
construction that the towns and the
State were to pay under the terms
Of the State Aid law. The 50 per
cent Of the cost heretofore paid by
each town was to be reduced by the
proportion that the cost OF the work
bore to the assessed valuation. This
amendment had the effect of post
poning all petitions from towns OF
low assessed valuation, until after
the expiration Of the referendum
period last year, and consequently
not many petitions were acted on
favorably until July LIST. The scare
ity Of labor and material has delayed
construction in numerous instances
and petitions were favorabiy con-
sidered only in cases where the
safety Of the travelling public was
endangered.
During the past year there were 80
new applications for State and
County Aid in the construction of
bridges, and there were II petitions
continued from the previous year
awaiting action by the various towns.
OF these petitions % were favorably
acted upon and contracts let for
their construction. At the close OF
the year there were four petitions on
which no action had been taken.
three that were discontinued for
various reasons by the Joint Board.
and IS in which the towns have
neglected to provide an appropria-
ton covering their share Of the cost
Of construction.
OF the projects whose completion
was postponed by the cold weather
of last winter, all but one have been
finished and accepted.
OF the new work placed under
construction during the past year,
10 contracts remain uncompleted by
reason of cold weather, two have
had their final accounts completed
and IA have the work finished and
accepted, and the final accounts are
now being made out.
The total expenditures under the
State and County Bridge Aid law
supervised by the highway commits
sion during the past year, amount to
$327,937.4s. OF this amount there
was paid by the State from the an
nual appropriation the sum of 1885,
94354.
Included in the last amount are
i~ mi
surveys and investigations relative
to projects not yet approved by joint
boards. and some items Of expense in
connection with plans and estimates
, on petitions which were subsequent
ly dismissed.
At the close Of the past year the
project for an International Bridge
between the State Of Maine and the
Dominion Of Canada. connecting the
village Of Madawaska in the State
Of Maine with the City OF Edmunds-
ton in the Province Of New Bruins
i wick, was provided with an appro-
priation by the Legislature Of the
I State Of Maine and the Parliament
of the Dominion of Canada The
: Congress Of the United States hav-
| ing made an appropriation Of one
I half million dollars for the Ports
mouth -Kittery bridge, and the legis-
latures of New Hampshire and Maine
having appropriated like sum, this
project was also ready for prelimi-
nary study.
The State Highway Department
! has been occupied in making the
necessary surveys and estimates, in
| Guiding soundings, to determine the
character Of the foundations. Dur
ing the present year no doubt. both
Of these projects will be placed I'M
der contract for construction.