Arizona republican., 1920-07-28
MANY HANDICAPS BESET THIS ROAD
 NOWNE EARLYDONE
Tempe-Mesa Highway Re garded as One of Most Important in State = No Road Carries Any Heav- fer Traffic

The opening to travel this week or the Tempe Mesa highway marks ths completion of the first hard surfaced road in the state to be built and com pleted under the direct supervision or the State Highway department.
 The initial unit of this road begin ming at a point east of the Phoehl@ city limits and leading to the town i'm it's of Tempe, was finished by the state highway forces in the spring of last year. Last September. bids were awarded for the paving through Tempe and for the route between Tempe ana Mesa, and now that this has been I'm ished, the public is afforded stretch of continuous hard surfaced hIShWay of Il 1-2 miles in length.
 The high type of construction, to- gether with the low cost, is one or the most interesting points in connectloh with the completion of this important highway. The Southwestern Construc- tion company was awarded the bid for the paving through the town Of Tempe at a cost of $2 40 per square yard, TOT a seven-i inch paving of two-fnch war renite bitulithic surfaeing on flVe- inch concrete base. For the same ,yps of surfacing on four-inch concrete base, the city of Phoenix is now pay ing s3.25 per square yard. McElratn and Shumway were let the contract for the construction of an is-foot pave ment six inches thick between Tempe
  ed for $2.33 per square yard, as against s2.70 per yard allowed the contractor who secured the contract for paving Marieopa county roads under the S4,- 000,oo0 bond issue.
 High Water Delays Work l Severe hanGicaps have beset the progress of the work from its ineep- l tion First came the high waters down the Salt River which damaged the l Tempe bridge and caused its being ! closed to traffic until temporary re- pairs could be made This cut off the supply of sand and stone from the 1 state quarry located two miles west, and it was necessary to set up new plant in the river bottom. Later this was inundated with considerable loss of material and time. Then came the 1 railroad strike, which tied up ship ments of cement, and this was follow ed by a long period of car shortage | which made it impossible for the ce- ment mills to live up to their agree ment to supply a carload of cement day, necessary to keep the work go- ! ing.
 The highway from Phoenix to Mesa is regarded as the most important in l the state and is carrying the heaviest traffic. No less than 1000 vehicles a dav cross the Tempe bridge. It is used for both east and west and north -and 7 south bound traffic. and for this reason the improvement of the line into the heart of Phoenix is being strongly urged
 This highway constitutes an import l ant link in the Bankhead highway system which enters the state at Rodeo N. M, dips to the Mexican border af Douglas, and thence follows a north westerly course to Bisbee, Tucson Florence and Phoenix. connecting al that point with a road to Yuma which is destined to be improved as con meeting artery of travel with the Cali fornia highway system. Including the 25 miles of concrete pavement between Bisbee and Douglas and the four miles out of Tucson on the oracle road, there is now a total of 40 1-2 miles of per- manent surfacing on the Bankheao route in this state. This is regarded as fair beginning to which other i'm proved sections will be added from time to time.
 May Extend at Phoenix End
 The paving will be continued out oi Mesa to the canal four miles east un- der the Maricopa bond issue, and ths county program also calls for 12 miles of hard surfacing south of Mesa through Chandler and Goodyear, con meeting at that point with an excellent desert highway to Sacaton and Casa Grande
 On the Phoenix end, the state high way department has agreed to appis for federal aid if the county will i'm. prove the three-mile stretch between the end of the present concrte paw ing and the city limits. The city con. templates paving Van Buren stree from the city limits to Central avenue but has been held back by litigation on the part of certain property owners
 
 Fines paid in court martial trials O the T.. g. army go toward the suppor of national soldiers homes.