Evening star., 1935-01-13
1884 OUTSTANDING
IN ROAD BUILDING
10000 Miles of Highways
Built or Improved Dur.
ing Year.
BY ROY d. CHAPLIN,


Chairman, Highways Committee, Automo-
mobile Manufacturers Association.
The days when motorists had to
inquire whether they could get to
community in the United States have
passed. With the completion of the
1894 oad-building program, the ques-
ton which confronts the traveller is.
"which is the better route to take?"
There is no longer any town in the
United States without at least one
improved highway. Most of them
have more.
While there may have been years
when more miles of road have been
built. there never has been a period
when such good highways have been
constructed as during the year just
closed.
10000 Miles Improved.
BY dint of steady effort directed
to a planned program, the State
highway departments alone, operating
in conjunction with the United States
Bureau of Public Roads, have built
or improved more than 10000 miles
of road in the last IL months, or
enough to circle the earth at the
Equator and go more than half way
around on the second lap.
Not all of this mileage has been
of new highways. In fact, a large
portion of the funds has been used
for the further improvement of roads
already under service and the results
are clearly evident to those who take
to the road.
There is notable improvement, for
example, in the arterial approaches
to both towns and cities. While the
express highway into New York City
through upper New Jersey is perhaps
the most outstanding example, vir-
tually every community bears witness
to the work that has been done.
Three and four lane highways, such
as that found between Fort Worth
and Dallas, are making their appear
ance everywhere and the new roads
are not only wide, but they are well
banked, drained and graded.
Traffic Speeded Up.
The use of Federal funds for main
thoroughfares in cities, too, has an
appreciable effect on the speeding
up of traffic and also on the stand
ards of construction.
Such projects as the new viaduct,
which is shortly to make its appear
ance in Baltimore, are calculated to
ease travelling conditions materially,
while the process of detouring towns
and cities is steadily going forward all
over the country.
There is a marked progress, too, in
the character and type of road work.
The predominance of Federal funds
has afforded an opportunity for higher
specifications which has been well
coined by hard-pressed State engi-
neerS.
California has come to the forefront
again with its great new Golden Gate
Bridge, which is now well under way,
while in Delaware the State Highway
Department has turned to the con-
struction of boulevard roads separated
by parkways to insure safe continuous
movement.
Skyland Drive Plan.
The projected skyland drive from
New Hampshire to the Big Smoky
Mountains in Tennessee and thence
south is one of the great new semi
recreational projects which is crystal
lizing into definite form, while the
Inter American Highway from Laredo
to Mexico City will soon offer a new
vista of travel to the motorist.
In all directions the engineers are
on the job, and it is one of the inter-
esting sidelights of the work that now
they are adding beauty to utility and
riding comfort.
Roadside treatment is fast becoming
a normal part of highway development
on the theory that the motorist wants
something more than a road when he
travels.
A touch of flowers or of plants,
vista on high hill, stopping places
to see the view or camp out are few
of the inexpensive features which en-
gineers are working out.