The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-12-24
800 MILES OF
INDIANA ROADS
PAVED IN YEAR
Other Work During 1881
Included Completion of
81 BRIDGES.

Inc lQQldQd highway QepdILHleIlO
completed 800 miles of concrete
pavement in the fiscal year ended
Sept. 80, and because some of this
is 80 and 40 feet wide, is the equiva-
lent to 1853 miles of standard two
lane pavement, according to a re-
view of the year announced today.
On the same date the department
had completed sixteenth miles of
bituminous pavement, and made
dustless with oil mat top and oil
treated surface, $50 miles.
During the calendar year of 1881
the department will complete $50
miles of cement pavement or the
equivalent to 383 miles of two, three
and four lane highway, according to
John j. Brown, department director,
in advance analysis of the commits
sion'S annual report.
Total department receipts for the
fiscal year of 1881, including bal
ance of $1,528,8 1922 carried over
from the preceding year, were ST.
673, PAPA. Total disbursements were
$20,771, 731.17, leaving a balance on
hand Sept. 30 of $6,367, 1929, of
which $5,100,000 was held in reserve
to pay for work under construction,
according to Ralph E. Simpson,
assistant director.
Ninety-Two Bridges Built
During the fiscal year the bridge
department completed ninety-two
bridges, and structural work was
outstanding in view of progress
made on the erection of three of
the largest bridges ever undertaken
on Indiana highways, namely the
Ohio river bridge at Evansville, and
bridges across the Wabash river at
Vlncennes and west of Princeton
connecting with Mt. Carmel, Ill. The
VincenneS bridge is a memorial to
George Rogers Clark. Among the
bridges were five grade separations
carrying highways over railroads.
Indiana collected, according to
Brown, nearly one and one-half
million dollars more federal money
for state highway work completed
during the fiscal year than in any
year since the department was Gre
ated in 1919. Total federal money
collected amounted to 1883, 380.39.
The largest sum collected in any
previous year, records show, was
SO, 704, 939.89 in 1924. For the first
time in the departments history ap-
plication was made for nearly $780,
600 more federal money than had
so far been allocated to this state.
Reorganization of the financial
report shows $15,2O4,963 spent for
and bridges; S2,877, 1863 for
maintenance; $519,105 for equip
ment and repairs, and $69,333 for
the administration Office, the latter
figure including salaries of the di-
rector and assistant director, their
travelling expenses, commissioners
per diem and travelling expenses,
Office clerical help and supplies.
Wide Highways Completed
The Forthcoming annual report
of William j. Titus, chief engineer,
will show considerable three and
four-lane pavement built this year,
chief of which projects are the
Dunes relief road between Gary and
the Michigan state line via Michi-
gan City, with a width of forty feet,
and widening standard pavement
to thirty feet or three traffic lanes
on two federal routes out of Ft.
Wayne. Nearly fifty miles of heavy
and expensive grading on several
roads, particularly U. S. Road SO in
southern Indiana, preparatory to
paving in 1882, was completed.
At this time, according to COM
pilations in the maintenance divi-
sion, there are 6,964.O8 miles in the
state road system, exclusive of AIT
miles through cities of $500 popula-
ton or more which, under the high
way laws, the commission does not
maintain.
Of this mileage, 1888 miles are
paved, of which 1888 miles are con-
crete. Counting high and lesser
type pavement, surfaces made dust
less by oil mat, oil treatment and
retread, there are 5,276 miles of
dustless roads in the system.
State System Expanded
A total of 963 miles were taken
into the state system during the
fiscal year, more than 500 miles for
the major purpose of spreading re-
lief by creating work, although these
roads fit into the continuity of state
road service, and are located in dis
tricts where unemployment was
acute.
For several months during the
year and continuing as long this
winter as practical, the department
is investing approximately $125,OOO
month in labor for secondary
maintenance, On roads which, were
it not for the relief program, would
be held in allegiance until spring.