The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-11-09
BIG BODYBUILDING PROGRAM

Fifteen 10 twenty years of building
good roads lie ahead of the United
States. Under the program which the
country has adopted there will be
built, during hat time, 1S0, 600 miles
OF improved highways which will con
stitute the Federal-aid highway sys-
TEN and an equal or greater mileage
OF State and local roads. When the
great job is done, the transportation
facilities OF the country will far ex-
coed those of any other nation, past
or present, in the world. The high
ways Of the ancient Romans, whose
fame has come down through the CEN
turtles, will pale by comparison.
Details OF this vast bodybuilding
program are to be placed before the
Highway Education Board at its con-
ference in Washington October 26
10 IS, inclusive. by State Highway En-
gineers and officials of the Bureau Of
Public Roads, United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture, TO whom has
been entrusted the work Of planning
and supervising the construction of
F~ederal-aid highways. The plan will
be presented to enable the Board to
proceed authoritatively with its work
OF deyising aids for schools and col
leges to which road-builders of the
country are turning for competent
highway engineers.
nYiaio1c nT tho Irraor p1ono ~ 90
gregate cost Of the Federal-aid pro-
gram alone at about $4,000, 900, 900,
spread over the twenty year period.
They base this estimate on an average
cost Of SIT, 600 per mile. The average
cost, in turn, takes into consideration
all classes of improved roadways from
the cheapest to the most expensive
types. Approximately one-third Of the
proposed system, or $4,000 miles of
improved highways, already are either
built or building.
The program is a new one. Up to
comparatively recent years, road-build-
ing in the United States had been con-
Quoted without special regard to a ma
tional system. Highways had been
constructed where needed without con-
sidering whether they would link up
in the most effective manner with the
whole network Of roads to be spread
sought more to meet immediate and
local demands than the broader re-
quirements Of the States and nation.
The present F~ederal-aid road-build-
ing program, officials Of the bureau
state, will contemplate the construc-
ton of only such roads as fit into the
national 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 modiica-
tons, the system adopted in building
the railways of the country will be
borne in mind in the construction Of
the country's new highways. There
will be main lines of highway COM
munication between centers and thou
sands Of miles Of feeder roads, reach
ing back into the more sparsely set.
tied regions and into the rich agricul-
tural sections, to tap areas whose pop
ulation and production will flow over
the new system.
New roads will be planned and
built-thousands Of miles of them
where they will fit in most advan-
tageously with the entire program.
The bureau is continuing its research
work into most efficient methods Of
bodybuilding. including the character
and wearing power of materials. re-
sisting qualities of varying sub-soils.
etc., and has amassed a considerable
store Of valuable information all Of
which will be available for the high
way engineer Of tomorrow, whom the
Board 9 seeking to have educated In
practical and moderA methods.