Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1922-11-15
FEDERAL ROAD PROGRAM

Washington--A program for good
roads construction during the next
fifteen to twenty years which will
make the road transportation facilities
of the United States far exceed those
of any other nation, in the world, past
or present, is the aim of the federal
government. The highways of Rome,
even, whose fame has come down thru
the centuries, will pale by comparison,
officials declare. Under the program
there will be built, during the period,
10000 miles of improved highways,
which will constitute the federal-aid
highway system, and an equal or
greater mileage of state and local
roads.
Details of this vast program were
placed before the conference of the
highway education board meeting here
in October, by state highway engi-
neers and officials of the bureau of
public roads, of the United States
department of agriculture, to whom
has been entrusted the work Of plan
ming and supervising the construction
of the federal aid highways.
The plan was presented especially to
enable the board to proceed authori-
tatively with its work of devising aids
for school and colleges to which the
road-builders of the country are turn
ing for competent highway engineers.
Officials of the bureau place the
aggregate cost of the federal-aid pro-
gram alone at about $4,000, 900, 900,
spread over that period. They base
their estimate on an average cost of
$4,000 per mile. The average cost,
in turn, takes into consideration all
classes of improved highways from
the cheapest to the most expensive.
Approximately one-third of the pro-
posed system, or 10000 miles of inn
proved highways, already are either
built or building.
The program is q new one. Up to
comparatively recent years, the bu-
reau declares, road building in the
United States has been conducted
without special regard to a national
system. Highways had been construct
where needed without considering
whether they would link up in the
most effective fashion with the whole
network of roads projected to spread
over the entire country. Engineers
had sought more to meet immediate
Tile lOCdi ueIldIluS Ludt tic DfOduGI
requirements of the states and the
nation.
The federal aid program, officials
said will contemplate the construction
Of only such roads as At into the ma
tional program and contribute to the
national system. At the same time
the roads will be so selected as to
serve the most important local re-
quirements. With marked modifica-
tions the system adopted in building
the railways of the country will be
borne in mind in the construction Of
the nations new highways There will
be main lines of highway commune
cation between centers and thousands
Of miles of feeder roads, reaching back
into the more sparcely settled regions
and into the rich agriculture section,
to tap areas whose population and pro-
ducts will flow over the new system.
New roads will be built--thousands
of miles of them where they will fit
in most advantagiously with the en-
tire program. The bureau at present
is engaged in research work into the
most efficient methods of road build
ing, including the character and wear
ing power of materials and resisting
qualities of various substances, and
has already amassed great store Of
valuable information which viii. be
available to the highway engineers
of tomorrow whom the board especi-
ally is seeking to have educated IN
practical and modern methods.