Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1924-02-21
THE STATE ROADS

CHARLESTON, w. Va, Feb. 10th
1t is probable, the State Road Com
mission says, that large majority
of the citizens of West Virginia do
not have very clear conception of
how their county is affected by the
distribution or apportionment of
State Road funds, There also seems
to be some confusion in the minds of
the people as to the status of this or
that read
The Commission says it still has
numerous inquiries pertaining to
Class-A roads. Under the present
law there are only two classes of
roads in the state; namely, State
Roads, and County District Roads.
There is no such thing ASA Class-A
road at this time. All roads are
County District roads until, by pro-
per order of the State Road Commits
sion, they are taken over by the state
for maintenance or construction.
They then become State Roads
There has been a system of pro-
posed State Roads, known as State
Routes, laid out by the State Road
Commission, but only such parts as
are properly taken over by the Conn
mission become State roads. This
| system, as laid out, does not include
all the old Glass A roads and con-
| stitutes a system of State Routes,
any part of which may be taken over
| by the Commission for construction,
or for maintenance if it has already
been improved according to state
! standard methods of construction
| Therefore, what might have been at
one time a Class A road is not nee
cessarily State Route at this time,
and unless it is first designated as a
| State Route it can never become
| State Road. When once a section of
road is taken over by the State it
becomes a State Road and all further
costs of maintenance or improve
ments are borne by the state, the
county being relieved altogether
| from participating in this work. The
maintaining of any other section of
State Route not so taken over, rests
entirely with the county.
| The old Class-A road system,
which was originally designated in
1917 and revised from time to time
until there were ACTS miles in the
entire system in the state in 1921, is
the basis upon which State Road
/ funds are apportioned to each county
for State Road construction therein.
The State Road Law requires that
out of all available funds for the
construction Of State Roads, after
deducting 20 per cent for reserve
fund, each county must be apportion-
ed sum equally in proportion to the
amount that the Class-A roads in the
county bore to the total Class-A
mileage at the time the law went in
to effect.
The funds for construction of State
INOduS dLc utIlNOu IIOfu LIE sane VI
bonds authorized by the legislature,
and in addition to this, certain a.
mount of Federal Aid, under an act
of congress, is apportioned to the
state. The money from these two
sources is placed in one fund and the
entire amount, less the 20 percent for
reserve fund, is apportioncd to the
counties. In this manner, each coun-
ty receives it's proportionate share Of
all Federal aid
The Federal Aid projects can only
be placed on certain part of the
State Road system, this part having
been previously accepted by the Fed
eral government and designated as
! the Federal Aid system, and while
there may not be such a thing as a
| Federal Aid project in certain
county, that county, nevertheless, re-
ceives in proportion just as much of
!, all Federal Aid funds available as
any other county. A mistaken idea
sometimes gains foothold in a com
munity that because certain sections
are receiving most of the Federal
Aid projects, they are receiving prac-
tically all of the Federal Aid funds.
This is entirely wrong, of course, as
each county is entitled to just so
much money, and wether large por-
ton or all of it comes through the
designation Of a Federal Aid pro-
/ ject or projects in the county, does
not affect this amount one way or the
other
The State Road Commission de-
sires that the people of West Virginia
realize these facts, as great many
misunderstanding will be overcome