The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-07-18

Annroximately S2,65S,OO0 will
be expended for federal ana ana
state highway construction ana re-
nair work in Montana during the
nresent year. OF this amount the
state and the counties affected VIII
nav S671, 900, the balance, nearly
$4,000. 900, being paid by the gov
eminent. This information was
part of an announcement made re-
Gently by the state highway COM
mission. summarizing the --1924
program. Nearly One-third OF the
total will be expended on Indian
reservation roads.
Contracts for 20 federal aid pro
iects we're awarded by the comnlls-
sion from January 1 to June 80,
last for the construction OF lO6.4S
miles of gravel surfaced roads at
total estimated cost of S1,3O3,3 500,
the government to pay 1868 per cent
of this amount, the state and coun-
ty share being only 1871 per cent, OF
S3O8. $50. The low per cent charged
to the state and county funds IN the
1924 contracts is due to the heavy
Indian reservation construction. IN
der the usual federal aid plan the
state and county pay 1926 per cent
of the total highway and bridge
construction costs, the government
paving the balance.
The remainder OIL the highway
expenditures scheduled for the year
are divided as follows: work on
contracts carried over from last
year, $750,000; contracts still TO De
let, $100,00O; forest highway con-
tracts, the entire cost to be pald Dy
the government $375,OOO; repairs to
bridges and 500 miles OF completed
federal aid projects at an average
cost of 1925 mile, $125, 900:
Of the 20 contracts awarded TINS
year IA were for road and bridge
construction on Indian reservations,
comprising nearly "a miles OF graVeI
surfacing, which with the estimated
cost of bridges brings the total es-
timated reservation expenditures to
SS53,472, the state and county share
being only $93,516. The state re-
ceiyes 100 per cent federal aid on
Indian reservation roads the only
expense charged to the state and
county is for road construction on
non-Indian lands. Indian lands in
clude all tribal tracts and allotments
being described as land set aside for
Indian use, except tracts for which
fee patents have been obtained, and
on which taxes are paid.
Contracts for forest highway con-
struction will be let during the lat
ter part of this month or early IN
August. the commission announced.
The survey for these roads has been
made and plans prepared by the For
est Road division of the federal bur-
eau of public roads, of the Depart
ment of Agriculture. The allot-
ments for forest highways, however,
are made upon the recommendation
of the state highway commission and
the contracts are subject to the in
cpetion and supervision of the COM
mission.
Contracts awarded by the state
/ to June 80 last include:
Huffine-Lane 2.9S miles of gravel
surfacing and small bridges between
Bozeman and Salesville in Gallatin
county, at an estimated cost of
9l0,J1J.
Belgrade Salesville, 9.7S miles of
gravel surfacing and small bridges
between Belgrade and Salesyille at
an estimated cost of $27 ,064.
Little Big Horn river bridge, a
Grow reservation project, in Big
Horn county, for a steel riveted span
12O feet long, at an estimated cost of
$21,769.
Browning Carlow, 1928 miles of
gravel surfacing on the Roosevelt
highway crossing the Blackfoot In
dian reservation at an estimated cost
of $1O4,035. Two bridges will also
be built on this road at an estimated
cost of $9,O43.
Arlee-Ravalli, 3.96 miles of gravel
surfacing on the Yellowstone trail
west from Arlee, at an estimated cost
of $28,265.
Joke River project, a 90-foot steel
span on concrete abutments over the
Joke river on the Yellowstone trail
in Lake county, in the Flathead reser-
walton, at an estimated cost OF
$13,607.
Pine eek-Emigrant, 2.77 miles
of gravel surfacing and small steel
bridges on the Yellowstone trail be-