Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1921-01-27
GIVE DETAILS
Of NORTH AND
SOUTH ROAD
Status of Work Done Is Out
lined in Biennial Report of
Public Works Commissioner
Story of Progress in Highway
Construction on Salmon Riv-
er Is Related by Engineer

Dealing with the North and South
highway, II. l.. Ewing, district en-
gineer, has written section of the
biennial report of w. j. Hail. state
commissioner of public works. Rec
ommendation is made in the report
that intervening sections of the high
way between Whitebird and higgins
be completed within the next two
years. That portion of the report
dealing with the North aud South
highway in central Idaho follows
Construction has been carried on in
several different places during the
past two years namely, twenty miles
including the grading and drainage
structures under contract to Grant
Smith & Co., between New Mea-
dows and Whitebird; 22.17 miles
including grading, drainage structures
and four miles of surfacing under con
tract to c. A. Bicknell, which ex-
tends from the main Salmon river be-
low Whitebird to Grangeville; As
miles including grading, drainage
structures and surfacing under con
tract to the Triangle Construction
comany, extending northwest from =
OrdlSmOQls p.l miles OF ciuSueu Ioth
surfacing under contract to c. A. Biek-
nell being between Jacques Spur and
Lapwai; 22.l miles of grading, drain
age structures and surfacing under
contract to the Standard Asphalt Paw
ing company and extending from four
miles south of Genesee to Moscow; 5.3
miles including grading, draining
structures and crushed rock surfacng
being done by Highway District No. 2
of Latah county under cooperative
agreement with the state; 2.92 miles
of grading, drainage structures and
surfacing being done by force account
by the Princeton Harvard highway
district in Latah county under coop
erative agreement with the state, max
ing total of $3.50 miles of improve
ment.
WHERE PROJECT STARTS
The highway is definitely located for
a distance of twelve miles north of
New Meadows to Round Valley but
construction over this portion has not
yet been authorized. Grant
Smith & Co., contract which is
known as Federal Aid Project No. O.
and comprises several sections, COM
mences at the lower end of Round
Valley which is the beginning of the
Little Salmon river canyon and con-
| tinues north for a distance of APP
s~oximatey seven niles This is
known as Section "AD of Federal Aid
Project No. 9 and will eliminate one
of the worst stretches of road along
the Little Salmon river where heavy
clearing and heavy and expensive rock
work are encountered. Within this
In OIL Jrnipaora cfruct11rpQ
comprises two bridges across the river,
one across Boulder creek, and one at
lFall creek. Not much work was done,
on this unit with the exception of
clearing until the late summer of 1920.
Since this, crews and equipment have
been placed on the work and very
satisfactory progress made, the two
bridges across the river being com
pleted and the abutments completed
| for the Boulder creek bridge. Add
tional crews are being placed all
along the work and it is the intention
to rush this section to completion
during the light traffic season and
thus eliminate inconvenience inciden-
tai to closing portions of the road.
Leaving this section, no work is in
cuded in the Grant Smith contract
until Section F'B" is reached, This is
short section, being 10 of a mile
in length, which eliminates a very
dangerous portion from the old road
and lies about midway between Rig
gins and the bridge across the Main
| Salmon river The grading Of this sec
ton was completed last fall
NORTH FROM HIGGINS
Leaving this work the next con
struetion encountered is known as
Section &C" which begins at the north
end of the bridge across the Nam
Salmon river north of higgins and ex-
tends north for a distance of about
completed last fall.
Leaving this section the next en-
countered is Section "'E which is
"a miles in length and embraces con
struction that eliminates the former
very bad road which climbed over the
high hills just south of Slate creek:
The main drainage structures OF
this section include 2Ofoot
concrete slab bridge at Long gulch
and 7O-foot steel span across Slate
creek. These structures have been
completed. Likewise the balance of
fContinued on last paQe)