Arizona republican., 1921-08-31
7OO MILES IF ROADS IN VALLEY GRADED
 SINCE RECENT RAIN

Since the recent rains, more than TOO m,les of valley roads have been worked and graded, Harry D. Vernon, county engineer. said yesterday. With the exception of a few miles in the Cave Creek district, most of the roads in the valley have been put in good shape, he said. Several miles of road washed out by the Cave Creek flood need refilling and this work will be- gin today. These roads were parel- Tel to the course of the flood waters and their beds were washed out to resemble canals. Before they can he put in shape more dirt must be hauled into the road bed.
 In the districts north and west Of Phoenix the grading was done with a 55 horse power caterpillar tractor and l heavy road scraper, and four Nash l Quad trucks and scrapers. The five outfits were manned by two men each In the Tempe, Mesa and | Chandler district the work was done with horse teams and scrapers. In the Cave Creek flood district 50 cul- verts were repaired or replaced as the case required
 The best road work, MT. Vernon said. was accomplished with the caterpillar tractor outfit. This outfit worked ana graded more than 175 | miles of road in eight days, often working some stretches three times. | This outfit worked most of the roads west of Center street to the New l river. He estimated that the outfit graded 125 miles of road at a cost of | S123.40. The Grand avenue road from Glendale through Peoria and Mari nette to the New river was worked with the caterpillar and most of the east and west roads and north and
 south roads in the district were
 worked from the Lower Buckeye road | to the Arizona canal. By the end of the week. Mir. Vernon said. most of | the roads in the county will have been worked since the rain and put In con- l dition
 The county recently acquired two | 55-horsepower caterpillar tractors l from the government and equipment
 suitable for working roads with these | tractors has been ordered and should
 be on hand by the time 1t rains again l To successfully work the roads with these tractors an S000-p pound scraper | and grader is required, with 12-foot | blade. The light equipment possessed I by the county at present, MT. Vernon 1 sad. is not suitable for work with
 the tractors. With two such outfits | the Nduey TOdQS can De WOFkeQ IT
 five to seven days following a rain
 the engineer declared.
 A gang working under the super vision of Mir. Vernon will begin worl
 in two CT three days posting 500 road signs on the valley roads. These signl
 were purchased by the Automobile
 club of Arizona and the county high.
 way department. The county engin.
 eering department will furnish tn, posts and the men to put them up
 The signs will be erected on all O
 the principal roads in the county ant
 the main outlying highways, such a.
 the Black Canyon road.
 The signs are approximately two
 feet square and are made of shee
 iron. They will be placed on sub
 stantial posts at the side of the roa, and at all road functions. Each sigi will give the distances from that poin l. to the towns on the road and if lead ing from Phoenix, the distance iron that point to Phoenix. The back
 ground of the signs will be in whit enamel and the lettering in blacl enamel. These signs will be a ma terial help to all travellers. Tn county should be pretty well poste !. with 500 signs. Mir. Vernon said. will take several days to post then