Weekly journal-miner., 1921-05-11
APACHE TRAIL
 TO BE FIXED
Next Federal Aid Fund to Con- tain Quarter Million for Fa- nous Road; State Highway Department Issues Statement
tJournal-Miner Capital Bureau


 PHOENIX, May 6.-The famous Apache trail will be restored without cost to Maricopa county, according to a statement issued by the state highway department "It is expect ed," reads the statement, that con- gress will, in the near future, appro- priate additional money for federal - aid, in which event an additional $250,000 secured as federal aid on other portions of the Maricopa coun- ty highway program will be used to improve the Apache trail, in connec- ton with the $75,000 secured by Sen ator Wilkinson in the Omnibus bill. In this manner the Apache trail will be restored without cost to Maricopa county.
 This statement was issued in con- nection with an announcement that the state highway department, after trying, for nearly two years to H. nance the paving of the road from Phoenix to Glendale, has issued a call for bids to be opened May g, 1921, and it is expected that con- struction will start shortly after that date and be completed by late sum mer or early fall.
 The improvement of this road, known commonly as Grand avenue, is of interest not only locally but to all the northern part of the state as it is the gateway of travel between the Capital city and Prescott, King man, Flagstaff and all northern points as well as to Los Angeles, via Parker, Ariz.
 The financing of this project was made possible at this time by the passage of the omnibus bill, the CO., operation of the Maricopa county highway commission and the state highway department and federal aid. The omnibus bill, as originally intro duced, carried an appropriation ot for improving the road from Buckeye toward Yuma to the county line. Through the efforts of Senator Wilkinson the act was amended to permit the temporary use of this money in improving the Glendale road provided it could be repaid be- fore. October 1, 1921, either from proceeds of the $4,5OO,OOO bond issue or from federal aid received on ac- count of any other road in the Mari copa county program.
 The former proposition was out of the question as it would not be possible to sell the $4,500,00O bond issue prior to October 1st, so nego- tiations were started between the state highway department and the Maricopa county highway commis- sion looking to the early construc- ion of this important project. Since Grand avenue from Phoenix to Glendale was not included in the first bond issue of $4,000,0O0 the highway commission. could not use any part of that money but would nave to wait until the second bond ssue of $4,5OO,OOO had been sold which would delay construction until lext winter. The result is an arrange nent whereby the Buckeye road and Grand avenue are both made federal id projects.
 The highway commission will at ,nce pave the Buckeye road from Phoenix to the Agua Fria river. The tate highway department will pave rand avenue from Phoenix to Glen Iale using the $1OO,OOO provided for n the omnibus bill and federal aid; he $1OO0O0 to be repaid from fed ral aid received oF the Buckeye oad. Through this arrangement york can be started as soon as a ontract can be let and one of the 1ost important pieces of highway york in the county will be disposed