The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-08-11
PLAN TO PUT
DESERT ROAD
IN GOOD SHAPE
Two Chances for Big
Improvement in
!. Much Used
/. 4 Highway
i TWO TOWNS IN
Blackfoot and Arco Are
Both Interested
and Willing
TWO TOWNS IN

There is chance to improve the
road to Lost river and do a substan-
tial favor to the public travelling that
route. A few years ago only few
auto parties ventured across. but
now there is stream of cars cross
ing every day and suffering heavy
wear and much hardship due to the
rough, rocky places. All the loose
rocks were picked out Of the road
last month and it is greatly i'm
proved, but the solid rock still stands
and cars are tearing themselves to
pieces every day and every night,
humping over them.
A study Of the road suggests two
things that can be done to make it
good road all the way, and this
at no great expense. Blackfoot and
Arco are both interested in it, and
great benefits would come to both
places thru the increased trade.
Exit Rocky Places
J Ali of the rocky places could
easily be covered with soil. Near
each stretch of rocks there is soil
suitable for hauling with wheel
scrapers, and if plowed early in the
fall. and then scraped after it had
absorbed enough of the fall rains to
make it pack we'll, it would be the
and of the rock trouble.
Drains in the Desert
In order to keep the earth from
washing away, where there is long
slope above to guide water down the
road, turnouts can be made to drain
the water out into the sagebrush just
above the fills. In many places cut
ting the drain will afford the dirt
necessary for the fill.
There are many miles of the road
that have the high center and low
treads with an occasional rock pro-
truding, and Bingham county has a
scarifier that could go over the road
slowly and set its teeth into the high
centers and by following with a drag
it could be smoothed out, thus COW
ering the rocks and leaving a new
roadbed level and ready to pack
hard with the winters rain and.
travel.
New Section of Old Road
1t might be advisable to abandon
about ten miles Of this rocky road
lying between the rock house and
where the Little Lost river road
joins it. There is. a detour of fine
smooth road that can be taken in
instead that is something like four
miles longer, and can be shortened
with very little work. Then there
is another route yet to be investi-
gated, that may prove better.
We suggest that joint committee
including two or three road builders,
go out and make observations and
and report their find
ings, and that the commercial clubs
Of both towns raise the money to do
the work recommended by the COM
mittee.
Arco Will Help
The Arco people are quite anxious
about this, and something like fifty
cars of tourists per day, pass thru
Arco, and most of them asking about
the road via Blackfoot, but only
few taking it because of it's bad con-
dition. Some of them who travel
the desert road complain about its
being so crooked, but those who have
made the trip from Carey to Arco
on the grapevine route, say the
desert road is a straight as a gun
barrel in comparison. But tourists
rs rule would like to see Blackfoot
and the Snake river valley, and here
Is an opportunity to open the gate
and let them come.