Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-06

This Is the second OF series on the
status OF road building in the United
States after about IL years. operation
under the Federal aid plan.
BY JAMES w. BROOKS,
Director, American Highway Education
Bureau.
Recent figures place the total of all
roads in the United States at slightly
over 100000 miles. OF this amount
approximately 100000 miles are en-
braced in 4S State systems which con-
stitute the main trafic routes Of the
country.
A study Of roads constructed up to
the present time by States with Fed
eral aid shows that the States are Wig
orously attacking the job, despite the
fact that the Federal Government Is
tagging behind on its share of the pro-
gram as previously agreed upon. Again,
viewed from the standpoint of con-
struction accomplished in the various
types Of road, 1t is found that the de-
mand has been so great for highways
that while the largest mileage of roads
built are of the cheaper types, and
which might be economically con-
Structed of a higher type, those in au-
thority have felt compelled to provide
the public with as many miles OF trav-
elable surface as possible. as the figures
bearing upon this point clearly indicate.
$4,000 Miles Improved.
The total improved mileage Of this
latter group stands at approximately
$4,000 miles. The term improved in
this connection. according to data sup
piled by the American Association OF
State Highway Officials. includes roads
that have been graded and drained,
rOodc with SanH-rlaV gravel
water bound macadam, bituminouS con-
crete, concrete, brick asphalt and a few
miscellaneous types. It also includes
roads under construction to be completed
within the present season.
In the 100000 miles embraced in the
various State highway systems an ap-
proximate total Of 138, 900 miles have
been improved without Federal aid,
while only about $4,000 miles have been
built with Federal aid.
Beginning with grading and drain
age-that Is, roads that are in progress
toward surfacing with some kind Of
material-Federal aid has been applied
to approximately $4,000 miles, while
approximately $4,000 miles have been
graded and drained by States without
Federal aid, making up the total OF
10000 miles of main highway that are
just now emerging from the grading
and drainage state.
In sand-clay, about 5.410 miles have
been improved with Federal aid and
approximately 5000 miles have been
taken care of by States without Feedral
aid, making a total mileage Of over
$4,000 in the sand-clay type Of i'm
provement.
$4,000 Miles of Gravel
Gravel has been applied to approx
mately $4,000 miles of road with Fed
eral aid and about $4,000 miles have
been thus surfaced without Federal aid,
which brings the total Of graveled mile
age in the country up to more than
$4,000 miles.
Water-bound macadam stands at an
approximate total Of l. 900 miles, about
1900 miles of which have been built
with Federal aid and slightly more than
5000 without Federal aid.
In the bituminous macadam type,
mileage constructed with Federal aid
stands approximately 5,400, with more
than 1880 miles built by the States
without Federal aid, making total of
approximately $4,000 miles of this type
of road
Bituminous concrete has been placed
on nearly 1000 miles of roads with Fed
eral aid and about 1000 miles Of this
type have been built by the States alone,
bringing the total mileage Of bituminous
Concrete roads total approximately
$4,000 miles. In this group more than
$4,000 miles have been built with Fed
eral aid, while the States have built
more than 81 500 miles.
5000 Miles in Brick.
Brick roads total nearly 5000 miles,
about 200o of which have been built by
the States alone. On the remainder,
about 900 miles, Federal aid has been
used.
OF all other types Federal aid has
been used on slightly more than 1000
miles, while the States have built about
5000 miles on their own account, max
ing a total of about 5000 miles OF mis-
cellaneous types not included IN the
preceding.
These figures show concisely where
the road building job stood from a ma
tional standpoint on January ], 1929.
They also show how the States are out
stripping the Federal Government IN
highway construction expenditures.
To understand the present status OF
the work clearly the fact should be re-
nembered that roads In modern sense
DO not approach the actual finished
stage until some one Of the higher and
more durable types of surfacing have
been applied.
Beginning at bituninous macadam
and including other types from there
on up, it is found that Of the 100000
miles embraced in State systems only
about 10000 may be considered as ac-
tually completed, taking the Nation as
a whole.
From these figures one may get a
fairly comprehensive view of the task
which confronts the highway engineers
of this country, in whose work $4,000, 900
motorists have vital interest. To COM
rlete the great work with all possible
speed they should be helped with even
stronger support in pressing forward
on main systems over which approx
mately IS per cent of the Nations high
way traffic flows.
Next-Where the Work Stands in In
dividual States.