The Washington herald., 1922-03-26


spent on maintenance on Nebraska's
4s5-mile section last year. With the
exception OF one or two short
stretches in the central part of the
State. the drive from the Missouri
River to Cheyenne. Wyo.. this year
should be an unalloyed pleasure.
Wyoming.
Wyoming will be the first West
ern State to properly complete her
section of the Lincoln Highway.
The magnificent road which has
been built across the State for
452 miles through what appears to
be almost uninhabited. country is
neVer-failing wonder 20 the East
ern motorist. Only fifty miles of
improvement is still required in
Wyoming. and this, 1t is expected,
Will be completed this year. The
work will not necessitate detours.
Last year the State finished 66.6
miles of 24-foOt Eraveled grade at
a cost of $166.44l. The abundance
OF road building material makes
possible the construction of the
highest type of roa, for the traffic
there at an average cost of $4,000
a mile. WyOming's maintenance
cost is also low. averaging last
year 1886 per mile, or SG0.4l6.
Utah.
Utah has done practically moth
ing to improve the Lincoln High
way or any road west out of Salt
Lake City to the Nevada line for
several years. The State has prac-
tically no bodybuilding funIs and
such construction as is undertaken
must be financed. by the counties
with Federal aid.
The desert counties in Western
Utah have a sparse population and
a very low valuation. They them
selves are almost helpless IN en-
deavoring to provide a proper road
for through traffic. AS n result,
Utah now presents the only real
barrier to through traffic across
the United States. In 1921 a few
miles of crawling was accomp-
lished east of Salt Lake City near
the Wyoming line at a cost of $751;
229. This represented the States
total contribution toward the COM
pletion of a through route across
the continent.
Since the passage of the Federal
Highway act the Lincoln Highway
liOHl GAIT Lane Nlly east 10 COH-
meet with the Wyoming improve
ment, has been designated as a
primary Federal road and will be
put in fine condition this year. The
situation from Salt Lake City west
is still unsettled. While the Lin
coin Highway Association in 1918
contributed S125.000 to the State to
aid in the improvement of the des-
ert cutoff and the money has
been spent, the State has not car
ried the improvement to compile
ton as agreed or properly main
tanned the work accomplished, with
the result that there is no salts
factory road west Of Salt Lake to
the Nevada line.
Seventy miles of the Lincoln
Highway west of Tooele will be
found in poor to very bad condi-
ton, depending upon the weather.
The only other western connec-
tions possible during 1922 are, first,
the road south from Salt Lake City
to Provo, thence via Delta and
Baker. TO Ely. New. which in
creases the distance between Salt
Lake City and Ely by so miles;
and, second, a detour from the
Lincoln Highway at Echo to Ogden
and Brigham and around north of
Great Salt Lake via Snowville to
Cobre, New, thense south and con-
Meeting with Ely. These latter
routes are also in bad condition
and their use will depend upon
the weather.
Efforts are being made to bring
about the completion of the Lincoln
Highway in Western Utah with the
Federal aid now available to the
State under the terms of the Fed
eral highway act, but sectional con-
siderations in Utah dictate a policy
on the part Of the present admins
tration aiming toward the compile
ton of a road west out of Salt Lake
City across the widest section of
the Great Salt Lake Desert fats to
Wendover, which has never before
been traversed by any through traf-
fic and which at the Nevada line
connects with no improved hign-
way leading west across Nevada.
Just what Improvement will be
undertaken in Utah this year now
depends upon the decision of the
Bureau of Public Roads of the De-
partment of Agriculture, as the
Federal government will pay rs
per cent of the cost of any high
way construction undertaken. Re-
CARELESS of what is done, however,
the above outlined conditions will
exist during 1922. ~
Nevada.
Road building in Nevada was oe-
layed last year through the failure
of Congress to pass the Federal
highway act, providing more money
from the Federal Treasury to assist
the Western States until November.
The State was unable to complete
all her contracts with the Lincoln
Highway Association, providing for
the improvement of the poor
stretches between Ely and Reno and
Carson City. The worst stretch was
completed-that across the Fallen
Sink, which has long been a barrier
to through traffic.
The new ratio of Federal aid in
Nevada and additional forest To-
serve funds will enable the State
to proceed rapidly this year with
the completion of the poor sections
on the Lincoln Highway. The pros
poets are that the Lincoln High
way by the end of the year will
be in very fine condition,
During 1929 several long rough
stretches. will be encountered in the
central part of the State. but these.
while disagreeable. are none OF
them impossible and the Lincoln
Highway is the best road ACROSS
Nevada. Nevada built sixty miles
of new gravel grade on the Lincoln