Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1923-08-02
TEN YEARS. TO
L0L0
SSH|GHWAY

Should future annual appropria-
tions equal those of the past, it will
require ten years to complete the Lew
is and Clark highway, the Lolo pass
route through the Selway forest re-
serve, according to advices. The cost
is estimated at $1,5O0,000 to $2,500.-
600, the variance being due to the
fact that no completed survey has
been made of large section of the
route.
The highway is of much interest to
motorists and tourists, although pri-
marily. a project for the protection of
timber, as it penetrates the heart of
the great Bitter Root mountain coun-
try, now wilderness. The project
was initiated in 1916, when Eugene
NJ. Booth was state highway engineer
and state and federal cooperation was
the basis. The project became of
general interest to the entire Clear
water basin because western ter
minus Is at Lewiston, connecting with
the Norah and South state highway
and the eastern Washington system.
Statement by Morrell
In response to an inquiry from Lew
iston, Fred Morrell, district forester.
with headquarters at Missoula, has
made a review of the project, which
shows its status. Mr.. Morrell says:
Application for the Lolo Pass road
was made by the Idaho highway COM
mission ON Dec 6, 1916. At that time
lhe estimated cost from KoOskia to
the Montana line was $750,000. The
application said that 80 percent of
this amount would be made available
by the state and desired that the
other so percent be supplied from for
es+ road funds. The application also
stated that the first work should be
done between KoOskia and Lowell.
'In 1919, construction Of tie Koos-
a-Lowcll section was undertaken
and completed in 1920. The distance
was twenty-three miles. Lack of funds
made it possible to construct but about
seventeen miles and placed the balance
of the road in fair shape for travel
by a small amount of work. On this
twenty-three miles there was expend>
ed 1895, 300 of which approximately
$4,000 was cooperation funds, sup
piled by the Kidder-Harris highway
district.
Cooperation i'm Survey
s. "On May 3, 1919, cooperative
agreement was executed by the state
highway department and the secre-
tary of agriculture, which provided for
survey of of the project between Low
ell and the Montana line. The agree
ment was that the state would cooper
ate to the extent of $4,000 and the
balance of the fund would be provided
by the federal government.
last year there was made avail
abe from forest highway funds $175,-
600 for the six miles from Lowell
eastward, and there was also made
available $4,000 of other federal
funds for the section between the
Montana line and Powell ranger sta
ton.
"AF of these were highway funds,
In addition to the above amount
| 100000 of Montana forest highway
funds was made available for the
/ n miles between Lolo Hot Springs
and the state line.
"When the time came to consider
the forest highway program for this
year. it was found that all funds set
aside for the state line-Powell ran
ger station section could not be used.
| for the reason that construction OF
the Montana section would not be
completed until late in the year or
possibly not until next year. The
balance which could not he used on
the Powell section was transferred
| 70 the west end and was increased nv
$4,000 forest highway funds and SD
CCG forest development funds.
Funds to Finish Survey
Forest highway funds Of $1,000
we're made available for completing
the survey The distance from
| Kooskia TO Lolo hot springs is esti'
mated at 40 miles. This distance
Is subject TO some change when the
survey is completed. Altogether