The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-06-11

Structon contracts loI tH'o
G. Frahm, secretary and cl''el en-
gineer Of the state highway ctiii'his-
sion, said today.
Figures compiled by Frahm $40"
that the total cost of road work to be
done this year will be S2.5O0,0D OK
which the highway department Will
pay 20 per cent or S625,o0o. otnel
work which various counties have
asked the state to do must wait until
1927 or 1928. While there is avail
able sufficient federal aid TO, this
and additional work, the shortage
obtains in the state aid funds or
contributions made by the State
Highway Commission towards the
cost Of construction. The only pos
sibic relief in this matter which will
enable the completion Of most OF the
projected work for 1926, it is said,
must come through the adoption of
the two cent gas tax measure.
Contracts Awarded
ave have awarded contracts to
date this year for the grading and in
stallation Of drainage structures Tor
6li miles at a total contract price OF
$2,224 .592.3l,' Mr. Frahm said, land
at an average cost Of S3,45A.oi per
mile, which is bit higher than 1T
ordinarily would be but for the fact
that we are now building 33 miles
Of new road through the Bad Lands
at an average cost Of S6,2l2.29 per
mile. These figures include the IL
miles al the east and OF Burleigh
county ON state highway No. 3 upon
which the county board has deferred
;ntion. and also IL miles Of grading
in Mountrai for which bids will be
opened June oath.
"Our gravel surfacing contracts to
date cover POS miles a, a total CON
tract cost Of 1896, SO and an aver
age cost of sl,Gl7.35 per mile. This
makes total of new contracts
awarded since January of S2,561 DOL
20 and of which IS per cent or $iio.
260.3O must come from state aid.
that is money derived from gas tax
income and the commissions portion
If the fees received from automobile
Registration" MIR. Frahm stated
AT the beginning Of the year, we
carried over from the 1925 contracts
incompleted work on projects calling
for 377 miles Of grading and 342
miles of gravel surfaclng. While
some of these contracts were nearly
done owing to the lateness Of their
letting. We estimate that on these
unfinished contracts. the state aid
fund must pay $3l5.0ii6S towards
their cost. This means that the state
aid fund is now encountered or com
n1itted to total payment Of $355,-
294.98, if we are to finish all this
work this year.
Summarized. there are now con
tracts outstanding for work under
construction or shortly to be cont
menced for l,021 miles Of earth grad
ing and $50 miles Of gravel surfacing
There are 7,i34 miles i'm our state
highway system, of which at the be-
ginning of the year, 2,3l9 miles were
graded and 100 gravelcd and nint
miles paved. When all this work is
completed that Is now under con
tract, we shall still have 1904 mile,
to grade and 6.OS8 miles to grave
before the entire State Highway
System is graded and gravel surfac
ell. AT the rate we are completing
this work, it will take about sever
years to grade the unimproved por-
ton and fifteen years to complete
the gravel surfacing," Mr.. Frahn
said.
State Aid Fund Resources
Opposed to the expenditure OF
55,29l.98, we had balance OF
$323.605 in the state aid fund ut tho
first of the year. Our share of the
auto license fees for construction
use is estimated at S55O,OOO for this
year and we shall probably be able
to get about $4,000 from the gas tas
receipts for this purpose. Beginning
With this year, the law makes it the
duty Of the state highway department
to maintain all portions of the i'm
proved state roads at the expense OF
the department and this work must
be paid largely from funds realizcC
from the gas tax receipts. 1t will
be observed, accordingly" Mr.
Frahm continued, that we have
reached the limit of our present re-
sources and cannot take on any more
construction work this year unless
our income is enlarged. For tina,
reason, we shall not set any more
dates for contract lettings at this
time, pending the action Of the
voters on the two cent gas measure
The state highway department will dc
the very best it can with the funds
placed at its disposal, and we are
not interested in the promotion OF
the two cent gas tax other than q
general hope and desire that the de.
partment may be put in position
to meet and comply with the growing
demand for better roads and more
state highway construction on the
part Of the various counties of the
state.
Road C0Mst ruction Lays Behind ROAD
Demand
"At the beginning Of the year, the
state highway commission had or
file requests for the earth grading
0f l. 1882 miles and contracts have
been thus far awarded for 644 miles
which means that we must defer the
balance asked for 1926 construction
until 1927. Consequently, 38S mile.
requested in 1925 must be delayed
until 1927 before the work can be
put under contract. Likewise, SO!
miles Of gravel surfacing were re
Quested and with contracts awarded
for 2OS miles, we must carry over
1T miles to 1927. Since January
SOL miles of additional grading have
been requested by the counties and
308 miles Of gravel surfacing to
gether with four miles Of paving
Thus, to date we have already re
quests on hand more than sufficIen,
to cucumber. or exhaust our state ait
fund for 1927 appOrtioned on tn,
present basis Of '25 per cent to eacl
lob. In other words, the department
cHn be kept busy for 1927 on thu
pre- sent requested and projected worl
without taking on single additional
hob, and some of this may have t.
Be carried over into 1928.
elf the people of this state desir'
to accelerate highway construction
one of two alternatives must b
d1opted. Either we must reduce on
contributions Of 70 per cent from
he state aid fund to lower per
&|ntare and throw the additions
Enrden on the direct taxes raised b.
80 eounties, Oh adopt the two cen
~ xaV r,,aaan ~ 70 Sunn1v additional