The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-08-24
PROGRESS MADE
ON LOOP ROAD
SURFACING CONTRACT WILL BE LET
Entire 23.l Miles viii Be Given Rock
/ Surfacings All Contractors Are
Speeding Work

5All contractors engaged on grading
the three units of the Mount Hood
Loop Highway from its intersection
with the Columbia River Highway just
east of the city. to the bounds of the
Oregon national forest, total distance
of 3d. miles, are now making excel
lent headway, according to County
Judge Hagbrouck and Roadmaster
Nichol. The E. A. Webster Co. has en-.
tifely completed the most difficult of
the work, that section along the east
bank of Hood river for some three
miles south of the city. Mr.. Webster
will complete his contract within six
weeks.
Two small stretches aggregating II
miles have been withheld from the
Webster contract until next spring.
The construction involves the entire
rebuilding of the old road at points
where the improvement would badly
obstruct apple hauling this fall. The
county will take charge of completing
the small distances next spring.
While it is now anticipated that the
Booth Hill unit, an approximate five
miles will be the last completed it was
originally planned to have it opened
and graveIed by this time. The con-
tract was awarded to the Joplin Eldon
Construction Co. last fall and it was
expected that crews would be able to
spend most of the winter on the work
The unprecedented sleet storm and
prolonged cold weather, however, par
alyzed activity of the grading crews
until late this spring. The character
of excavation, too, proved far more
difficult than anticipated. and the
company met with innumerable unfore-
seen distractions. The worst of the
Booth Hill section is now completed,
and the contractors are fastening to
put the finishing touches to their unit
before fall rains begin.
The johnson Contract Company,
with a unit of IL miles from Booth
Hill to the bounds of the national for
est, has made rapid progress from the
beginning. Its crews are now rushing
the new grade in the remote Upper
Valley section through unimproved
homestead property along the water
shed of the East Fork of Hood river.
The announcement that the State
Highway Commission will award a
contract on August 20 forth rock sur
IdClDR VI lD6 CuliIC cCCblOh Va eHC
Loop Highway up the Hood River val
ley has aroused general expressions of
qualification among business men and
orchardists here. The contract will
stipulate that the entire surfacing
must be completed by August 81. 1923.
1t is understood, however. by local
authorities. that the work will be
started at once, in order that stretches
of the highway needed in transporting
apples and for general traffic between
the Upper and Lower Valleys may be
improved as fast as possible.
Originally in 1921, when the valley
trunk of the Loop highway was pro-
posed, the cost of surfacing the road
was placed at $500 per mile. Costs
have dropped since then until it is now
estimated the work can be done for
little more than $5, 600 per mile.
Throughout this week the Webster
Company will be working on the main
East Side road near the f. d. Nuna-
maker place, and it will be necessary
to detour by the Sunday place or from
the Pine Grove school to Odell.