The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-08-26
More Anxious to Have High
way Finished Than Are
Local People, States D. A.
McKinnon, Chief Engineer.
PROJECTS CANNOT BE
STARTED THIS YEAR

. AN LII lII1D 4 Gf1N
That contracts for the grav-
cling and oiling of 81 miles
of highway on No. 2 will be
let during the present fiscal
year, was the assurance Civ
en- by D. A. McKinnon, chief
engineer Of the state highway
commission, while speaking
before the Libby Lions club
on Monday evening. This 81
miles to be finished is to start
at Troy and will run south
ward through Libby into the
Swamp creek district. The
estimated cost of that work
is $215,000 and that sum of
money has been set aside for
that purpose, said McKinnon.
Anxious to Finish No. 2
'I don't suppore you people will
believe this, but we of the highway
commission are more anxious to
get No. 2 completed than you are"
he continued. I'VE realize as well
as you do the wonderful scenery you
have up here and the strong draw
ing card it will be to bring tourists
into the state when the highway is
completed. And I am sincere when
/ say that we are bending every eff
fort to push this work along just as
rapidly as possible under the reg
Iulations laid down by law and with
the money that is available from
year to year
Mr. McKinnon went on to explain
that there had been misinterpre-
tation of a former letter written by
him. He said the letter was not
clear in one respect but the in
formation he had intended to con-
vey was that the crawling and oil
ing of the projects through this dis
trict would be let at one and the
same time, and not separately, as
was inferred from the letter. He
further said these contracts would
be let during the present fiscal year
SO as to be completed during the
summer of 1888. He said it was i'm :
possible to get the plans approved
and contracts let in time to do oil
ing this year as no oiling jobs are
started after September /. But he
was emphatic in his assurance that
the oiling of the 81 miles would be
completed next summer. The type
of work would give what is called
an s'oil mat" surface, high class
surface and the same as that laid
down recently in the McGregor lake
district.
More Oiling Planned
| .In~explaining the amount of oil
ing that would be done here next
year, Mr.. McKinnon said enough
money had been saved from diff
| ferent projects SO that he felt con-
| fident the department would have
funds for the oiling of the unoiled
projects in the Fisher river Happy's
Inn district. IF we are able to dc
that" said McKinnon, I'VE will have
completed all of the states par
of No 2 lying between Kalispel
and Troy There are some section
Iof B. P. r. highway in that distance
and just what they plan I do no
know. But I feel very confiden
we will be able to finish all of the
state oiling between Troy and Kal
4 iSpeI.
| Mr.. McKinnon had written let
ter to Walter Neils in regard t
highway matters and the oilinl
plans. The letter is printed in full
in another column and it should b.
read by all those interested In high
way plans.
Mr. McKinnon and E. l. Manior
of Whitefish, division superintendent
OF the Great Northern, were presen
at the meeting as guests of til
, Lions club. 1t had been planne
to hold a picnic at the site of tn
proposed roadside park at Kootens
1 falls but a rainy day forced tn
7 meeting into the Moose hall. Be
: fore the meeting, however, both M
McKinnon and Mr.. Manion wer
I taken to the falls by number {
! Libby men. The Lions have bee
/ attempting to obtain from the raj
:. way company permission to use til
: site under question for publ
e park. They have already done COZ
i siderable clearing SO as to NAL
T. available a view of the falls, the
/. have built a fountain, have col
n structed tables and benches ar
i stoves. The purpose Of the meetir
was to better acquaint Mr. Manic
with the site and the possibiliti
is for developing beautiful pa