The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1940-02-08
Cook Reports
Balance In
Roads Budget
SUGGESTS ANOTHER
CUT IN APPROPRIATION
FOR HIGHWAYS

After carrying on the largest
construction program in the his
tory of the county in addition to
normal WPA program and the
usual road and bridge mainten-
ance, the Redwood county high
way department closed its 1889
books with a balance in funds,
according to the annual report OF
Richard Cook, county engineer,
presented to the board of COM
miSsioners Wednesday.
This year, for the first time in
several years, we are going into
the new year with all our bills
paid said Mr.. Cook in pointing
out that besides wiping out an
oVerdraft of $19,l70.21 as of jan
uary l, 1899, the department has
paid $2,6Ol.50 for road conStruc-
ton which was not due until next
year and $3,261.02 for township
bridges, not in the county-aid
system, which is due the town.
ships as part of their 1910 allot-
ment.
The highway tax levy for 1910
has been reduced from $4,000 to
$4,000 and, now that we have
most of our worst state roads fix
ed up, we should be able to make
another reduction for the follow
ing year." Mr.. Cook said.
Trucks Saved Money
However, l recommend that
we go slowly in reducing this tax
as it is well to have some in re-
serve in order to eliminate sud-
den raise in taxes such as was
forced on us three or four years
ago.
In summing up Works Progress
administration projects in Red
wood county last year, Mr.. Cook
outlined a successful experiment
in buying second hand trucks for
use on WPA crawling and rip
rapping jobs. The three trucks
saved enough to pay for them
selves, the cost of operation and a
little more, his report said.
One truck hauled gravel for
$.01645 per cubic yard mile and
the highest cost was $.03177. If
the work had been done under
contract at five cents per cubic
yard mile it would have cost
Redwood county $1,20352 more
than it did. The average gravel
hauling cost for all three trucks
was $.02345 per cubic yard mile.
Stressing the necessity of re-
constructing old and narrow
bridges to make them safe for
modern traffic, Mr.. Cook reported
that As structures with a total
span of 1858 feet have been re-
constructed in the last eight years.
He says 60 structures are still
narrow or otherwise inadequate
but that Is of these are on little
used roads or can be made at least
partially satisfactory by repairs or
small alterations.
Bridges Need Repairs
"The other As structures are in
need of attention." he stated.
THE bridges taken care of since
1881 were the ones easiest to fix
and costing the least. The re-
naming bridges are going to cost
good deal more
Il do not expect that we are
going to be able to rebuild all of
these bridges within the next few
years." he said in advocating a
steady program of reconstruction
To illustrate the saving made by
the county in using WPA labor
on bridges, he pointed out, "This
year we built two bridges of the
same size and design. One which
was by contract on a state aid
road cost $4,615.94 and the other,
near Revere, was built by WPA
at cost to us of $2,309.42.
Our greatest saving has been
in using material salvaged from
larger structures to build small
structures. In addition to provid-
ing lot of worthwhile work for
WPA crews, it has permitted us
to build from three to five times
as many bridges for the same
amount of money as would have
been possible under contract. For
example, Waterbury bridge, an
IL foot span using salvaged ma
terial and WPA labor, cost us
$213.49. In Paxton township, we
built a bridge for the township
across a ditch of approximately
Continued on page three)