Evening star., 1937-12-19
By G.. adams HOward.
. DAD building throughout the
J Nation for this year will set

L Y $4,000 miles of all classes OF
highway were brought into completion
at the end of the fiscal year 1887, ac-
cording to the annual report OF the
Bureau OF Public Roads OF the United
States Department of Agriculture.
This mileage, completed under bureau
supervision, exceeds by several hum
dred miles the work completed the
previous year and also the record OF
2l,700 miles in 1884. This great in
dustry, employing thousands of work.
men and purchasing countless tons OF
materials, is one of the most important
In the country. 1t brings people closer
together, and with new engineering
developments greater safety in travel
Is provided.
Grade-crossing elimination and pro-
lection work in 1887 has far surpassed
that of any other year. There were L.
149 crossings eliminated, of which l.
086 were financed under the $2O0,000,-
600 grade-croSsing program authorized
by the Emergency Relief Appropriation
Act of 1885. Also, 1876 existing grade
separation structures were reconstruct
ed and STA crossings protected by sig
mails or other safety devices.
OF the completed mileage, 1878
miles were constructed with funds ap-
portioned to the States according to
formulas prescribed by law and the
work was done in cooperation with
State highway departments. The work
included 10,257 miles on the Federal
aid system outside of municipalities,
1903 miles of extensions of the system
into and through municipalities, 571
miles of secondary roads in munich
palities, and 6,847 miles of secondary
roads outside of municipalities. Federal
funds involved in the respective classes
of work, including that at grade cross
ings, were 55,281 ,958, $50, 1888, ,908,
$27,380225, and SIT 281 ,776.
Improvements were completed on
139 miles of the forest highway sys-
tenn, exclusive of work done in fur
ther improving surfaces previously
placed, bringing the total forest road
mileage improved to date with Federal
funds to 6593 miles. Of the mileage
improved during the year, 1895 miles
were in the Western States and
Alaska, and the remaining 304 miles
In the forests of 10 Eastern States. OF
the total mileage improved to date S.
982.2 miles are in the West and 6095
miles in the East.
In the national parks, parkWays
and monuments 169 miles of roads
s1-ara por,,r,1ota6 I,,ripn ho 1,aor
bringing the total to 1928 miles. In
addition there were completed 246
miles of roads in public lands, 26
miles of food-damaged roads, 1882
miles of roads in special areas to
provide work relief, and loan-and-
grant projects initiated by the Public
Works Administration totaling 1,415
miles.
The bureau has also continued its
highway research studies, concentrat-
ing especially on the study of cheap,
but lasting, road surfaces, and on
highway safety promotion Continu-
ing the policy of the last four years,
all highway work was administered
with employment of those on relief
rolls as a primary objective. The nine
different classes of work supervised
by the bureau provided total direct
employment in the fiscal year of 1887
of 1,792,760 man-months, slightly ex-
ceeding that of the previous year, but
less than the peak years of 1884 and
1885. In direct employment, on all
Federal and State highway construc-
ton and maintenance, the total man.
months were 3,755,491.
Emergency funds available for new
projects were reduced to a small re-
mainder at the end of the year. Con-
siderable emergency work under con-
struction was carried over into the
new year and when this is completed
the emergency program will have been
practically concluded.
While the end of the year marks the
last stage of emergency road construc-
ton program, it also marks the be-
ginning of a broadened Federal-aid
program, with 100000 for i'm
provement of the Federal-aid system,
S25,000,000 for secondary or farm-to-
market roads, and $50,0O0,000 for
elimination of hazards at grade cross
ings in each of the fiscal years 1888
and 1889. Funds for Federal-aid and
secondary roads must be matched by