Evening star., 1938-02-06
ASPHALT HIGHWAY
FOR RIVER GROWS
Pavement to Prevent Over.
flow of Mighty Mississippi
in Strategic Areas.
By COLEMAN b. JONES,

Df SoLLMHN ID. JoNES.
The "superhighway." paved with
asphalt. concrete blocks or other
materials, which is being constructed
by Army engineers for the exclusive
use of Old Man River as an induce
ment to stick to his course as he
comes round the bend. has been ex-
tended in the last year to an aggre-
gate length of about $50 miles.
This pavement" ranges in width
from about $50 to 800 feet, according
to the contour of the river bed at
the bends, where it is laid to prevent
the rushing waters of the mighty Mis-
sissippi from cutting into its banks
in such a way as to endanger bridges,
cities and other valuable properties.
Since it costs about $50 a front
foot"-the engineers call it linear
foot-to install these "pavements"-
revetments is the engineers word for
them-their extension is proceeding
only at points where the value of prop
erty threatened by the tendency of
Old Man River to cut himself a new
channel is sufficiently great to war
rant the expenditure. At many points
it is found to be much cheaper to let
the river change its course and to
check its entertainments on the land
merely by building new levees behind
those threatened by the caving in of
its banks, and even, in some cases.
moving whole villages back behind
the new embankmcnt.
Nevertheless, the revetment work of
the Mississippi River Commission,
which operates under the office of the
chief of Engineers of the Army, has
been extensive in the vicinity of such
cities as New Orleans. where it is
important to hold the river in its
channel on both sides; Vicksburg,
Miss, and Memphis. Tenn, as well
as numerous other points in the al
luvial valley along its 1,OOO-mile
course.
Emergency Funds Used.
The work has been accelerated
greatly in the last FIVE years through
the allotment of emergency funds for
flood control operations along the Mis-
slssippi River, and many believe that
the social and economic DEVELOPMENT
which they foresee as a result of the
tanning of that eccentric Father of
Waters to the northWard will pro-
gresslvely increase the justification
for adding progressively to the stretches
OF the "superhighway" southwark.
To the north, between St. Louis,
MO. and St. Paul. Mimi. the general
Hood control plan vlsualizes virtual
transformation of the river into a
series of great lakes linked by narrow
channels controlled with locks. In
stead Of an undependable stream,
sometimes muddy and shallow and at
other times raging and uselessly deep.
the plan for this part of the river bed
calls for the building Of a series of
dams which will back up the water into
20 or more spillways, each 30 or so
miles long. Barges laden with low
cost material would be able to travel
over them safely the year around.
assured of 9-foot channel to take
them through the locks from one lake
to the next. Some of the engineers
visualize the effects of such mag
nlflcent lakes. inviting new recreatlons
ana calllngs, as including a strong
influence for change in the social and
economic life of the region.
With the flow of the river through
Its aluvial valley to the southva rd