Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-07-01

HIGHWAY WORK IS
in SPLENDID SHAPE
Work on Wisconsin Highways
Progressing More Favor
ably Than in Previous
Years is Report

Despite the handicaps threatened
at the beginning Of the year, high
way construction work in Wisconsin
is progressing more satisfactory
than in any previous year the engin-
GERS of the State Highway Commiss-
ion report. An usually good start has
been made in the highway construct
ion for 1921 Work in general is sew
eral weeks ahead of the usual situat-
ion at this time of the year. Not only
is there larger quantity of work
underway, but each individual job on
the average is further advanced than
the average job at this time of the
year. At the present time, there are
approximately $50 crews building
gravel roads in the state, and this
number is being augmented every
day. There ARE also, approximately
sixty PAYERS building concrete roads
in the state, which means we are
building over three miles Of paved
highway per day. This rate is not abb
normal because of the fact that we
have approximately three hundred
and ten (31O) miles Of pavement to
build during the season, as this
amount is already under contract.
One reason for the extra good start
is the rather keen competition there
has been in bidding this year. This is
due partly to the fact that some of
the neighboring states are not in full
swing ia their highway work, and
partly to the fact that considerable
number Of new contracting firms
have started, owing to the increased
work IN general Prices have
been lowered from week to week and
the work let now is done at consid-
erably lower prices than that let earl
Ter in the year However, the State
Highway Commission took precau-
ton in the early contracts, and is
sstsl doiug s0, and Incorporating claus
es wherein reductions in materials,
such as sand, gravel and cement, and
in freight rates, shall re-
bound to the credit of the county or
state as the case may be. In other
words, all bids are received based on
certain stated prices for material,
and on the existing freight rates at
the time of the letting.
An interesting feature of highway
construction in Wisconsin this year,
Of paving work is that
almost exactly one-half of it is not
dependent upon the railroads for
except for the cement. In
other words, sand and gravel used in
the construction on $50 miles Of high
way will not be shipped, but will be
hauled by team or truck directly
from local or commercial gravel
pit.
Naturally, this enables Wisconsin
to build their highways somewhat
cheaper than some of the neighbor-
ing states.
There is an abnormal amount of
trucking being done this year, and
at very low rates compared with
former years. This is due to the fact
that great many trucking concerns
had the trucks and crews on hand
and were money ahead to haul for
us at low rate rather than let their
crews be laid up. owing to the lack
of construction operations in the
cities. In other words. State High
way work had benefited quite consid-
erably by the lack of work in the
cities Everything looks favorable to
the completion Of the program as I'M
dertaken, of over three hundred miles
of concrete, about fifteen hundred
miles of gravel, and several hundred
miles of grading only. Labor is very
plentiful in most section of the state,
and is being paid from IA to 1-3 less
than paid last year. There is also a
slight reduction in the price for
teams, due largely to the fact that the
price of feed for teams is very great
ly reduced last year. Teams are very
plentiful, especially in the North
no summer logging being done on ac-
count of the great reduction in the
price of lumber, and the teams be-
longing to these lumber companies
are being employed on highway work.