Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-08-18
COLEMAN REVIEWS DEPARTMENTS
WORK ON STA TIE ROADS SINCE 1906

construction.
The State Highway Department
has accepted the vote OF the people
on the constitutional amendment as
| n positive command to that depart
mcni TO he prepared FOR nm aggres-
sire highway construction program.
The department liz. therefore. going
ahead with arrangements for such q
program. having in mind OF course
that the General Assembly OF Virginia
at it's session i'm the carly part OF 1922
will adop, broad financial plan
which will be comprehensive enough
to make possible the construction Of
the highways OF the State within a
reasonable length OF time. We hope
this can be done within five or six
years, for we believe this TO be tho
wish OF Il large majority OF the peo-
pie OF the State.
Therefore. after consulting tho
Governor and the State Highway
| Commission, the department has al
ready organized four field survey par
ties. which are now at work. and
! has In the process of organization
additional parties. these To be sent
| out in February. These parties arc
being sent out to various sections OF
the Stntc to locate and establish the
state highways and TO prepare tho
| necessary plans and estimates OF tho
Surveys nnd Estlmate..
'Thcsc parties will also locate all
available local materials which will
bc suitable for highway construction.
These estimates will form tho
basis for the recommends lions OF tho
State Highway Department of the
financial plan to be presented to the
General Assembly In 1922. 1t is the
hope and the expectation OF the de-
| partmcnt that the surveys which arc
now being made Will be sufficient TO
take in all sections OF the State.
| "A careful study Is being made by
the department not only OF the cost
| OF the mainline highways, but of the
| county systems. which form the feed
ers into the main arteries OF travel,
| ana II Is the expectation OF the de-
partment to develop and recommend
| financial plan for the construction
! of these feeder roads
| The Highway Department has un-
der way at the present time 12G con-
tracts on the State highway system
representing n mileage or sci In nd
diiion To this the department will
| open bids during the next sixty days
on approximately 200 miles OF road.
these lettings to be followed as
| Rapidly nv possible by other lettings.
| The funds which nrc being used for
| this work represent the Federal and
state moneys appropriated for the
season OF 1920 and 1921
| County Work Under Way.
| we also have under way. In CO.
| operation with the counties OF the
| state scventy-scven construction con-
tracts. representing a mileage OF
1875 Also contracts for sixteen
bridges. Additional contracts will be
| entered into from time to time az the
counties prepare their programs. and
the work on the county highway or
feeder systems will he carried for
ward rs rapidly az possible, thus
bringing about the development of
| time.
| The department. Is trying In this
way to be ready TO carry forward
| without delay any construction pro-
gram which the Legislature of 1922
Will nnapce.
RECON- IN ndntIons.
| After general discussion OF the
| question, this department would
| therefore recommends:
First: That the state would adont
n broad financial plan which would
contemplate the construction OF the
| major part OF the State highway sys-
tern. together with the construction
OF large proportion of the main
county highways.
with this in NIL the department.
prepared last summer. prior to tho
November election. n bulletin outlin-'
ing plan for the issuing OF 100000
| coo OF bonds.
This plan contemplated using tho
present available financial resources
l"f the Highway Department as q basis
for bond issue; that is, the bond
issue would be from $i0,000,00o to
| S5o.O00.000. - be issued az needed,
ar as FIST as 1t could be economically
expended. during period OF six years.
dsinG so much of the mill tax an
necessary TO pay the interest. the re-
mainder. together with one third Of
the automobile tax. regular appro-
| priations. and Federal aid. to be
added to the bond issue funds for
construction, making available from
$7o.000.000 to $4,000. 900.
In my original plan l began re-
firing the bonds at the end OF the
4 sixth year. I am now OF the opinion
that IL would he better to change this
to the end of the tenth year, from the
Issuing OF the first bond.
State Aid.
Following the plan outlined in
my bulletin you could retire your
bonds in nineteen years.