Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-03-03
Highway No. 7
viii Be Routed
Through Troy
State Commission Takes
Stand in Favor of South
Side Location.
MEANS SERVICE
TO GREATER NUMBER

Judging from letter written by the
state highway commission, 1t Is now
very probable that the final location Of
the Libby Troy State Line highway
will be left on the south side of the
river. This news, which will be good
news to the residents Of Troy as well
as to the rest of the county, was
brought in a letter received by l. S.
WEIGH, chairman Of the highway COM
mittee Of the Libby Commercial
club, and was written by the
state highway commission. The
letter to Mr.. WEIGH said: "Your
letter Of January It'll referring to the
Libby-Troy road was given consider
alton by the highway commission in
session on February 26th. We are en-
closing copy Of letter just written
to the bureau of public roads stating
our position in the matter, and we trust
that the action taken meets with your
approval"
The letter referred to follows:
Helena, Mont, Feb. a, 1882.
Bureau of Public Roads,
Missoula, Montana.
Gentlemen:
The Highway Commission in session
on FEBRUARY 26th gave further consid-
Grafton to the routing of the Libby
Troy state line forest highway, which
is coincident section of the Federal
and Forest Highway System of this
state. There are two possible alterna-
tives, one commonly known as the
south side of the Kootenai River to a
point below the town Of Troy and
would 90 through that town; and the
other known as the north side route
which crosses the Kootenai River some
distance above Troy and would miss
that town.
We are informed that comparative
study of the two routes indicates that
the south side location is perhaps three
quarters Of a mile longer but is esti-
mated to cost considerably less. Under
these conditions we wish to renew the
statement of our position and our rec
ommendation that the south side route
through Troy be adopted
We feel that this highway should be
located so as to give the greatest
amount of local service compatible
with reasonable standards of location
and cost There is no question but that
the south side route gives far more
local service, not only to the town Of
Troy, but to people living on the south
side Of the Kootenai river, and to traf-
fic using the Bull Lake forest road
between Noxon and a point near Troy.
The north side route would give prac
ticaaly no local service Furthermore,
as you know, we have an investment
of nearly a quarter of million dollars
in Federal Aid Project No. 250-A be-
ginning at Libby and running about
six miles west on the south side of the
river. The Libby-Iroy route was orig
inally approved on the south side of
the river all the way to Troy, and this
completed Federal Aid Project was
built with the understanding then exist
ing that the south side route would
be followed. While this project would
still be disable if the north side rout-
ing were adopted, it is questionable
whether we would have built the prof.
ect at all if we had not had the UNI
Outstanding that the south side route
would be followed to Troy.
We trust that, in view of the facts
as you now have them and in further
view Of the wishes and recommended
tions Of this department which are
supported practically one hundred per-
cent by the people Of Libby and Troy
and others interested in providing serv-
ice to suit local people and conditions
you will see your way clear to adopt
the south side location which goes
through Troy.
Very truly yours,
STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION,
BY w. O. Whips, Secretary
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