The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-05-04
STATE REPORTS
BIG ROAD YEAR.
TRUNK ROUTE IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAM ALREADY MORE
THAN HALF COMPLETED.

Minnesota trunk highway i'm
provements last year included /,
621 miles of grading, 1885 miles of
graveling, lat miles of paving and
1S5 new bridges, exclusive of bet
terments from maintenance opera
tions extending over the entire T.
OOO-mile trunk highway system. The
figures are from the annual report
of Charles M. Babcock, state high
way commissioner, which is being
circulated this week.
New progress records made on
state highway work are said TO be
equalled or exceeded by those on
secondary or local roads throughout
the state, although only partial COM
township road officials are available.
Relieved of the heavy expense of
improving and maintaining the main
highways which formerly took an
average of 80 per cent of the road
and bridge funds, it was explained,
counties are left with five times as
much money with which to push
local road betterments.
highway OlicldlS Sdlu tudl - &
was high record year of highway
development in Minnesota. Failure
of the highway bond proposals in
the recent legislature, as already
made plain, means that 1922 pro-
gress on the trunk system will not
be approached this year or next,
the large part of available funds to
be taken for upkeep and repairs and
little to be left for further i'm
provements.
Improved Mileages Run Up.
Rapid progress to date under the
new state highway program is
shown by comparisons with improve
ment totals listed by counties when
the trunk highways were turned
over to the state. The state in two
years has spread improvements
measuring 5,015 miles, compared to
1855 miles reported as improved
when counties were relieved of the
responsibility for the trunk routes.
The summary follows:
Miles At Start New Plan Total
Graded, 1,499 2,267 $3.50
Graveled, 1871 2,39s 3,769
Paved, &c $50 416
In addition, there has been much
new bridge construction, state main
tenance forces reshaped 9S2 miles
and resurfaced 804 miles and patrol
forces carried early good roads
benefits to every part of the big
system.
Although less than 1000 miles of
the 1000 miles of trunk highways
are completely improved, surfacIng
doubling on the grading, con.
sentative estimate is that the state
highway program is more than hall
finished.
County Lines Remain.
A significant feature of the high
way report is showing that more
than three-fourths of the none!
used on the state trunk highway!
under the new plan has been county
reimbursement bond funds and fed
eral aid.
The Good Roads Amendment No
/ principle was one for state
highway system to be improved
without regard to county or othel
lines. A legislative trend in thu
opposite direction is disclosed b!
the figures and it's continuance II
the extension of the county reim
bursement bond law and the failur'
of the trunk highway bond bill il
the recent session.
The requiremnt that reimburse
ment funds be used in the countie
issuing the bonds has resulted il
much disconnected Improvement OF
the system. A further tendency i
to increase the mileages of paving
county boards urging use of bon'
funds for hard-surfacing becaus
other improvements may be !ooke'
for under the regular state pro
gram.
The commissioners report make
no direct comment on these mat
ters but they are plainly apparen
from the tabulations.
Fund Uses Detailed.
Use of average highway dollar
expended last year is given in sew
eral tabulations.
OF the average dollar of incom'
66.5 cents went into new construe