The copper era and Morenci leader., 1921-08-05
MULE CREEK LINK ID BE STARTED
 THIS MONTH

Thos H. Maddock, State Highway Eneineer, J M. Shepherd, District Highway Engineer, who recently completed the survey of the Mule Creek Link in the interstate highway between Greenlee county and Grant County N M, arrived i'll Clifton OH Monday evening last, following stormy voyage over the roads in southern Arizona and eastern, New Mexico, caused by the heavy rains and floods in this section. It is re- ported that on one day, following a struggle in high water, the State En- gineer wired his chief clerk in the Phoenix office:
 If the Federal department of Good Roads offers us any boats, grab them quick
 Roads all oyer southern Arizona and eastern New Mexico have bee1f damaged by the continuous heavy rains and high water. MT Maddock and MT. Shepherd were compelled tc camp out all night on Duck Creek, il, Grant county. on account of flood 1 conditions.
 The State Engineer went into Grant i county, New Mexico from Cochise 1 county for an inspection of the pro ! posed connection at the New Mexico l line with the Mule Creek link. On l the New Mexico side coming out ol
 Silver City in this direction, the first i fifteen miles is fairly good and the
 last fifteeen miles coming into Cliff
 is a splendid federal aid section. Ar ! engagements have just recently beer
 completed to apply for Federal Ai( on what is known as Project No S4
 24 miles extending from Cliff pas ! Jackson to the northern boundary O | Grant county. Also Project No. 5;
 has been submitted for approval a . Washington which will improve the
 first eleven miles out of Silver City
 The Mule Creek Link diverges iron
 the Silver City-Mogollon Highway a
 a point south of Jackson and reaches
 the Arizona line over Q distance o
 fifteen miles. Part of this distance
 as far as the Mule Creek Post office has already been constructed and tht ! County Commissioners of Grant Coun ty have guaranteed to construct tht
 remaining distance of five miles t. , the Arizona line.
 Mr. Maddock stated that the aF prOach to the Arizona line from tn New Mexico was comparatively eas construction. through beautitr ; country. Crossing the Arizona lin
 towards Clifton, in the vicinity o Black Jack gap. the constructor be T comes heavier and the descent fror 1 the gap to the mesa is approXimatei six per cent for distance of three 0 T four miles. The distance from tn
 New Mexico line to Clifton will D 3 approximately 27 miles. twelve mile of ytrn ir, iC hn l. Franklin Federal Aid Highway. : The State Engineer is frankly ( 2 the opinion that a more direct eas I and west connection between the tw t counties could be made by Ieavin d the Silver City-Mogollon road at C Il near Cliff and coming west to the AT
 zona line. Such a connection, howeve
 would require the construction of al
 proximately 27 miles of new road O
 the Grant county side. At any rat r. Mr Maddock stated that he woul . present this alternative route to th ,f New Mexico authorities for their CO e sideration. For this purpose NJ e Shepherd left Clifton on horsebac $ this morning to make a reconnoi e sance survey between Clifton ar l, Cliff. "
 h. Tn the event that satisfactory a g arrangements cannot be made with u
 New Mexico authorities for a co
 nection via Cliff, MT. Maddock state n- that the Mule Creek survey would le adopted, and that unless some unfC IS seen obstacle arose, actual constru " tion of the Mule Creek Link wOu v be started before the end of Angus
 The Mule Creek Link will not be