The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-02-15
ROAD SURVEY IN
RICHLAND co.
$2,OoO,0o0 Highway System
VIII Be Completed Within
Twelve Months

Columbia. Feb. 12.-Trafiic 1T
the present time over the highways
in Richland county is below nor
NAL on account Of SO many roads
being under construction both in
the county and also along the
Washington and Atlanta highway
in the eastern part Of the state,
according to statemnets made in
the economic road survey recent
~ completed. About three months
ago, the state highway department
in conjunction with the bureau Of
public roads began making an &C.
onomic survey Of South Carolina
by counties, and the results OF the
survey have recently been compil-
ed.
Cor ei.uins on the subject Of
traffic. the report says. Normally
the Washington and Atlanta high
way should carry an average 'of
from 500 10 1000 vehicles a day
and the other inter-county roads
should average in the neighborhood
OF 500 vehicles. In the proximity
of the city limits OF Columbia all
roads, due to heavy suburban tray
el, show an increase Of about 100
per cent. more than the average
estimated traffic"
~ o,.a pin1,tnn6 N.
~, the paragraph on AREA and
populationS' says. 1.-The county has
an area Of 75l square miles and q
population of 1922, ranking
fourth m the state. The population
per saaare mile equals 10l per-
sons 1or urban and rural regions
and 500 for the rural regions
alone
The taxable property. according
to the survey. is valued at s2S,-
-399.2S5, ranking third in the state.
The road mileage. according to
figures given. amounts to 1,500
miles in the county. of which 15.3
miles are state roads.
The state roads cnosist Of fOu,
intcr-county roads. connecting CO.
lumbia with Newberry, Fairfield,
kershaw and Sumter counties. The
Ncwberry road is a link Of the APP
placilian highway and the road 10
Kershaw county is part of the
Washington and Atlanta highway.
AS to road work now in pro-
greSS. the report says that road ac-
tivities are under the supervision
of Capt j. Roy Pennell. county
engineer and that s2,000,000 worth
OF bonds have been sold py the
county and that it is proposed to
hard surface ali state roads. with
the exception of the last seven
miles Of the Sumter road which
is to be graveled. Contracts have
oeen awarded and work Of hard
sur.acing is now in progress on the
following roads: Columbia TO
Newberry county line; Columbia to
Fairfield county line; Columbia TO
mile post II on the Sumter road.
II is expected that ali work now
under way will be completed by
October 1922.
The contract for hardsurfacing
the road from Columbia to che
Kershaw county line Will be let In
June, the report says, and the con-
tract for constructing and gravel
ing the last seven miles Of the road
to Sumter will be let about April
!. All of the work proposed will
be done with funds provided by, the
present bond issue.
The report says that with the
completion Of the state highway
system, traffic in Richi.-nd county
will be very heavy. lnter-county
travel will be exceptionally heavy
'.as Richland county is centrally
located and practically all cross
state roads pass through Columbia.
The Washington and Atlanta high
way viii furnish a heavy tourist
travel from the north central and
eastern states when it is entirely
open to travel"
The recommendation is made
that las proposed by the Rich
land county highway commission
ii is proposed that all roads in the
county be hard surfaced. Both
san:l and rock for concrete can be
obtained locally and hard surfaced
roads can be constructed economi-
cally.
The number Of vehicles per day
on the first seven miles Of the
road from Columbia TO Lexington
county line is 500. The number
of vehicles per day using the first
mile Of the road from Columbia to
Fairfield county is 500. The num-
ber on the first four miles Of the
road from Columbia 10 the Ker-
shaw county line is 600 daily. The
number of vehicles using daily The
first two and oen-tenth miles Of
the road from Columbia 10 Sumter
Nnn