The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1922-07-20
PAVING NEEDED
ON TRUNK ROUTES
Highway Department Shows Cost Of
Upkeep of Gravel Surfacing
Under Heavy Travel.
SHOULD AVOID ACCIDENTS
About $2,600,000 to be Spent in Main.
tanning Highways This Year;
to Gravel $50 Miles.

Average cOSCS OF upkeep on MINNIE
sofa trunk highways marked with the
official numbers on yellow stars, as
given in a new highway department
bulletin, are $500 a mile on graveled
sections, 1923 on pavement and $181
on unsurfaced mileages, the last figure
rated being about the limit that can
be used to advantage on that type.
The highway department. estimates
that it is impractical to maintain an
unsurfaced road when the daily travel
is more than 200 vehicles.
Charles M. Babcock, state highway
commissioner, commenting on upkeep
costs during the first year under the
new program, said:
"Only about 80 miles Of paving is
being paid for with state highway
funds this year, the remaining is being
financed with reimbursement money
which must be used in the counties is
suing the bonds. The upkeep expert
ence proves that paving is necessary
on several routes now being main
tanned at excessive cost and will not
only best serve thousands of highway
users but will release funds for other
needed improvements on the trunk
system. The figures show that when
la highway carries more than 1000
vehicles daily the cost of maintaining
gravel surface is greater than that
of paving, interest and all other
charges included"
In addition to the big mileage of
grading and crawling on Minnesota
trunk routes by contract this season,
about $50 miles Of gravel surfacing,
300 miles of reshaping, also scarifying
and other special improvements will be
spread by maintenance forces.
It was announced that this week a
special maintenance expenditure of
$426,125 has been authorized to sur
face 553 miles and to reshape 90 miles.
Additional items estimated at $175,0O0
are tc be added upon recommendations
from, district superintendent some Of
whom have yet to submit their lists.
Trunk highway maintenance funds
this year will total about $4,000, 900,
highway officials stated. After pro-
viding for the special improvements,
many of which border on the contract
class. the remainder of the fund is to
be used for patrol upkeep, bridge re-
pairs and other undertakings which
distribute benefits to all parts of the
state.
Special maintenance projects will
differ from those Of last year, it was
explained. During the first year un-
der the Babcock good roads plan much
new mileage was improved by the
maintenance forces, while this year
the operations will be mainly on pre-
vious work, including shaping, surfac-
ing and so forth.
Speeding lure on broad, smooth,
straightaway sections of the Mime.
sofa trunk highway system is running
up accident totals with the railroad
grade crossings, sharp turns and other
dangerous sections which are being
made safe as rapidly as possible, says
the current bulletin of the state high
way department..
"The better the road, the greater is
the inclination to over estimate safety
as to speed" said John Fl. Mullen,
chief highway engineer. "Eliminat-
ing railroad grade crossings, clearing
and widening curves, building guard
rails and in other ways, the state is
working to make trunk routes 100 per
cent safe. But careful driving is the
first essential to highway safety as is
shown by the large number of acct
dents where the road conditions are
nearly perfect"
! Dance at Green Lake.