Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-05-04
FACTS ABOUT
iowa ROADS
The State Will Spend in Neighbor'
hood of 100000, 900 for Road and
Bridge Building in 1921.
CERRO GORD0 LEADS
IN PAVED ROADS
Eighty-Two Counties in the State
Have No Hard Surfaced Roads
and Fifty-Five Have No
Graveled Roads

$60,000,000 for road and bridge
building in 1921, according to esti-
mates made in the current number
of the Iowa state highway commits
sion's service bulletin.
In spite of the difficulties in the
way of road building during 1920
the state spent S2S,024, 945.25 for
roads and bridges on 104,0S2 miles
of public highway in 1920. The
primary road system claimed an ex-
penditure of about fourth of this
sum for road work only, on 6,619
miles OF road, and county road sys-
tenn expenditures on 1882 miles
totaled s5,795,553. Township ex-
tpenditures totaled about S5,000,000
more in 1,34S townships, and the
bridge expenditures on the three
systems amounted to close to ten
millions.
During the year road forces out
lined ninety-eight primary road pro-
iects for the improvement of 1,438
miles of the system, making a total
of ZIG projects outlined to date. Of
these projects seventy-one have been
signed up obligating total of fed
eral aid of s6,293,940. Federal funds
allotted to Iowa exceed this amount
by S1,0S1,2 05, and plans on file with
the federal Office cover more than
this amount, so there is no possibility
of Iowa losing any portion of cher
federal allotment.
Two counties, Webster and Worth,
voted during the year on hard sur
facing their primary road system,
the latter county deciding in favor
OF the project and the former
against. Twenty-seven counties have
now voted favorably on hard surfac-
ling, including: Allamakee, Benton,
BLACK Hawk, Buchanan, Cerro Gordo,
Clay, Clinton, Des Moines, Dickinson,
FEmmet, Floyd, Greene, Hancock,
Johnson, Kosshth, Linn, Lyon, Mar
shall, O'Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto,
Plymouth, Polk, Scott, Woodbury. and
Worth.
Fourteen counties have voted
against hard surfacing: Boone,
Buena Vista, Calhoun, Carroll, Chero-
kee, Franklin, Hardin, Lee, Louisa,
Story, Sac, Tama, Webster and
Wright. Thirteen counties have voted
bond issues totaling $1S,475, 000.i"
On Jan. /, 1921, the state had
66.8 miles of hard su1acing on her
6,619 miles of primary road, 1928
miles of graveling, 1,02l miles of
permanent grading, and Abs miles
of earth roads, with only maintain
ance treatment from drags and
Iblade graders.
By way of comparison, on JAM. /,
1920, there were % miles of hard
Surfacing, ga miles of gravel, 1886
miles of permanent grading, and A.
927 miles of unbuilt roads. The 10.1
per cent of paved or graveled roads
which the state had on Jan. /, 1920
had increased to l3 per cent on jan
/, 1921.
Cerro Gordo county leads the state
in the paved road mileage, with 81
miles, third of the hard surfaced
road mileage of the state. FloyC
county is second with IL miles Of
hard surfaced roads, and Polk i.
third with 10.
Buena Vista county has 52.2 miles
of graveled roads out of a tota
highway mileage in the county o
66.7 miles. Calhoun county has a.
miles of graveled roads, and Dickin
son and Emmett each have 40.6 mile
of graveled roads. Dickinson, how
ever, has only11.5 miles of roa,
which is not graveled, and this
permanently graded, while Emme
has 1.6 miles of road which is no
graveled, and this, too, is permanent
? " graded.
+ Eighty-two counties in the stat
have no hard surfaced roads at al
and ffty-fve c9Shties have no grave
ed roads. Fofteen counties do nc
yet have any permanently grade
= roads, their entire road system b,
ing practically 'undeveloped, an
three or four other counties hay
barely made start at either grave
fhg or PERMANENT grading.
In 1921, with labor more plentiful
transportation reader, and pric,
lower road work should be great
I speeded up, especially if the legi
lature authorizes the use of prima
! road funds ON deposit for the M
F, chase Of primary road bonds.