The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-22
Many Miles of Highways Com pleted and 26 Additional Miles PIanned-Permanent Road Work to Be Extended. Will Ask Federal Aid

Jefferson county has 45 miles of per manent highways completed and work on 26 additional miles will be started within the next few weeks. Bids for this work have already been adver- tised and will be opened on April 15. Plans are being discussed by the board of revenue of the county to apply for federal aid for 54 miles of permanent road with a concrete base and bitu- minous top. This is included in the road building programme for the present board when approximately $1,500,000 will probably be expended Tn this manner.
 It is estimated that the construction or the 26 miles for which bids have been asked will cost about $e5O,OOO, according to members of the board of revenue.
 At the present time automobilists may ride from the courthouse eight miles on the cast highway on permanent soads through East Lake and on to Roebuck After that there are b miles of macad- smized, roads in this county. On the vest highway for a distance of eight miles through Ensley there is perna- nent highway. However, it is pointed out that in several places between Bir- mingham and Farview there are a few bad places in the road Beyond the paving at Fairfield is the macadam highway to Bessemer, which is said to be in splendid condition.
 Out through North Birmingham to Lewisburg on the north highway there are seven miles of pavement and at the end of that is a macadam road for 1b miles to the county line The Montgom- cry highway, which is also the south highway of the state, has six miles ot permanent road completed and beyond that there are eight miles of good niacadam road it is stated.
 IN GOOD CONDITION
 With the exception of very few roads which are now being graded or repaired, practically all of the highways in Jet- terson county are in good condition, ac- cording to Jerry Gwin, member of the board, to whom number of different projects being planned were referred, and who made recommendations calling for work lon 15 roads. Of this number, he was in favor of asking federal aid for seven of them, while the other eight were work which, in his opinion, the county should do this year.
 On the Mt Pinson road a five-mile stretch from Boyles to Greene has been compelled and bids have been asked on the road from Norwood to Boyles MT Gwin stated that an extension of federal aid from the end of the pavement near Greene to Pinson, distance of five miles, will be asked
 With the exception of three-fourths of a mile fom the city to Rosedale and through Rosedale and one-fourth of Q --.s q l,a work on Montgomery highway is com plete. That part not yet finished will be completed within the next 30 days. On the Birmingham-Jasper highway the five-mile stretch from Pratt City to Adamsville has been completed, as has the Birmingham-Cu Cullman road by way of Warrior to Wheeling, which is one mile beyond Lewisburg.
 BITUMINOUS TOP
 Contractors are working on the road from Ironda1e to Leeds, which is macadamized highway, and the board ex poets to ask the government for federal aid to put a bituminous top on dis tance of 13 miles. Work is progressing on the road from Mount Olive to Corner schoolhouse. which is B miles This will be a macadamized road when completed as will the pike between Warrior ana Trafford distance of five miles.
 On the Rocky Ridge road from the waterworks to the Montgomery highway the grading has just been finished, and it is now being macadamized. Grading on the road from Warrior to Rollins cross roads, 10 miles has been completed and the grading of the Port of Birmlns- ham road from Wylam to the port VIII be completed this month, it is stated This is Il miles and it will be macadam- ized, adding to the many miles of good highways in this county.
 Eighteen miles on the Adger and oak Grove loop have been graded and are now being macadamized, while the road between Pleasant Hill and Morgan, three miles, Is being finished.
 ROAD WORK DELAYED
 According to MT. Gwin, approximately sl.500OO0 was spent on roads in this county last year. Of this amount $5Oc,- coo was federal aid, practically all of the federal aid projects having been com pleted Highway work has been delayed this year on account of inability of the county to dispose of s5.0o0,0o0 worth or good roads bonds voted by the citizens at special election held in FeDruary' 1920. However it is pointed out that the legislature at special session passed an act whereby bonds could be sold for so per cent of the par value, and 1t is ex- pected that as soon as the bond marke. opens up again the county will sell us bonds and thus carry out the extensive read campaign mapped out.