Weekly journal-miner., 1921-12-28

 via Yarnell is estimated at only -$43O,OOO, Mir. Colvocoresses says, adding: Just why it costs only half as much to construct a road over this route as over the Black Canyon is not quite clear, and their estimate would allow only $7,40O per mile for this construction"
 WAS ESTIMATE BY
 RESPONSIBLE ENGINEERS?
 Has this estimate" he con-
 tinues, "been made by responsible
 engineers after careful survey and
 calculations, and will they put their
 name to detailed estimate at this
 figure? Further, has any effort
 been made to determine whether or
 not any responsible contractor
 would bid on the construction of
 this road at this figure, or at any
 think like it? Let us remember, at
 this time, that it was estimated
 that the road from Prescott to Je-
 rome, 32 miles, would cost only
 S30O,000 to build-and that it ac-
 tually cost S820,000. Never yet, I
 believe, has a road been built in
 this state in accordance with fed
 eral specifications at any such fig
 ure as $7,400 per mile, and par
 ticularly where the road will ir1-
 volve a great deal of hard work as
 along the Hassayampa, and the
 practical rebuilding of the present
 road from Congress Junction to
 the county line near Wickenburg"
 Judging by what roads have in variably cost, without pretending to venture an estimate of the cost of building the Yarnell road, Mir. Col vocoresses says, he does not believe it can be built to federal specified tions for less than $15,000 a mile, a total cost of $9OOOOO. Therefore, he says, assuming $400,000 federal aid could be secured, actual construction might involve the county or the state in additional expenditure of $500,000. Are the taxpayers, he asks, willing to face such possible expenditure for a third north-south road parallel to the two now existing and 10 miles longer than one of them; and to assume maintenance of these three roads to- talling 1Sl miles compared with a mileage of 135 to maintain on the Black Canyon and Wickenburg routes alone? He maintains this is no time 10 undertake construction of any new route, and that the advantage of the Yarnell road will not be commen- surate with its cost q maintain that every cent available for new con struction under the present bond is sue must legally be spent upon the roads which have been designated, and that any federal aid which can be secured should logically be ex- pended in improvement and better mcnt of these roads"
 Regarding the Maricopa end of the road, Mir. Colvocoresses quotes the commission as saying, We can eX- pect no better road than the one we have at the present time; also, they (Maricopa county) have already con- structed two bridges on the Wicken- burg road over the New and Agua Fria rivers and will surely not be willing to build other bridges over these same rivers on the Black Can yon road.'
 'Is it possible" asks MT. Colvo- ccresses, "that the commission are still unaware that the crossing of the Agua Fria river on the Black Canyon road is in Yava- pal county |. and that the funds provided in the present bond issue were to be expended in part for construction of a bridge across the Agua Fria at Canyon?" The ex- istent concrete apron provides a very good crossing over New river, he adds, "al though a bridge will undoubtedIv he built at later date"