Putnam patriot., 1921-09-23
NEW ROADS WILL
 BENEFIT PUTNAM
Proposed Highway To Connect Southbridge Win Mean
 Way To Bcrkshires
About 100 Miles To Be Added To
 Thorouxhfares


 If the building program of State Highway Commissioner Charles J. Bennett is carried to completion dur ing the next year. Putnam will have al least one more state road connec- tion which will be exceptionally vel come. This is the commissioners plan to complete the road from W ood- stock to Southhridee, providing the Massachusetts authorities will coop crate Only two miles of the Con nectieut highway are ;o he built te carry the road to the state line. Should the Massachusetts authorities fall in line the two or three more miles into Southbridge could then be completed and the whole cf this sec ton of the state would have an almost direct highway to Palmer and Spring field and the Berkshires
 The commissioners plan is an ex- tensive one, and if followed out will add nearly 100 miles of improved highway to the 500 miles which the state now has.
 The new program does not take into account contemplated replacement work. h view of the fact that the legislature made no appropriation for replacements. this work is entirely de pendent on the receipts from motor vehicle department fees, fines and for fcitures. Inasmueh as the motor ve. h'ele fee system has beer completely changed effective the first Of January, 1929, the probable amount available from this source will not De known be fore June |. 1929. For this reason. highway replacement work in Connee- ticut will be left practically at standstill for about ten months.
 For trunk line construction. the highway department has Si.o0o. .o00 that was appropriated by the legisla- ture. for federal aid roads. Sl 1000. .00a from the state and a second million Tn sight from the government, and for completing unfinished gaps in state aid roads. $500, 900 from the state In addition to this. the department will receive enough money from towns for their share of the expense of filling in gaps in state aid roads to put it's re- sources over the S4 GOO 600 mark
 The program laid out hy the high way department is the result of careful study to get the maximum benefit from the money available. All other things being equal. an effort was made to place the new construe ! tion where it would do the most to re- ] lieve unemployment.
 Two million dollars Is to be spent on three big federal aid projects. 1 Chief among these will be high grade highway thirty-five miles long up the Housatonic valley from New Milford to Falls Village, passing through sherman. Kent Cornwall, sharon, Salisbury and Canaan. i Completion of the improvement of the Westerly to Norwich highway. in cluding the resurfacing of roagh sec tions in the present road, will con ] stitute the second federal aid project About three miles of new road will be ! laid al an estimated cost of sS0,000, and the work will be started in the 
 spring
 A four-mile stretch from Danielson to Little Rest. on the Rhode Island Connecticut state line, will make the third federal aid project It will in volve an expenditure of Si50, 900. and the work is already under way.
 Work will be continued on the New London Hartford turnpike in an ef fort to push 1t through to completion by July I. 1929.
 A special project calling for a road, two miles long, between North GrOs- venordale and Meehanicsvillc, as or dered by the legislature, will be started without delay. An appropria- tion of $60, 00o s available for this.