Evening star., 1940-02-11
2,0OO-MiIe Highway
Along Mississippi
Urged in Congress
New Dream Parkway
Would Be Limited
To Passenger Cars
~ the Associated Press

~ the Associated Press.
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 10.-In a few
years q motorist may be able to
drive 1000 miles from the source
of the Mississippi in Minnesota to
the Gulf of Mexico without losing
sight of the river for more than a
few miles at time.
The trip would be over a new
dream super-highway - exclusively
tor passenger cars-winding through
j.. the picturesque valleys, over high
bluffs and touching many historical
spots.
When finished the proposed "Mis-
Eissippi River Parkway" would be q
monument to one of the greatest
highway building projects ever un-
dertaken.
Tentative plans are outlined in a
bill pending before Congress and
engineers are ready to start survey
Of the vast territory as soon as they
get the green light.
The bill, authorizing a scenic four
hne north-south. trunk parkway
from Lake Itasca in Northern Min
faesota to the Gulf has been re-
ported favorably by the House Com
nittee on Public Lands and of
the 10 States bordering the river
have. passed legislation enabling
them to cooperate in building it.
The other four States say they will
do likewise.
Local Committees Working.
There is hardly town along the
proposed route that does not have
q committee at work
Secretary of the Interior Ickes
has promised support of the Federal
Government and National Park
Service.
Methods of financing the gigantic
undertaking have not been discussed
publicly. 1t was said any estimate
Of the cost would be purely specu-
lative until engineers complete the
survey.
But it has been suggested that if
the various States acquire the rights
ofway the Government would shoul-
der most of the burden of con-
Struction, Identification and mainte-
nance.
Development of the project has
been placed in the hands of an
interstate planning association COM
passed OF men designated by the
Governors of the 10 States. A. P.
0Teensfelder, st. Louis engineer, is
chairman.
While the ultimate aim is a 1000
nile scenic parkway (each side a
one-way drive), the proposed road
would cross the river at many places
to reach historical sites and link
up with hundreds of miles of good
pavement already laid. These strips
would be replaced or improved grad
ually until the longest parkway drive
IN the world was completed.
Experts Held in Accord.
The physical feasibility of the
parkway plan has been approved by
many Federal and State park, high
way, conservation and biological ex-
nerts, Mr. Greensfelder explained.
"1t is development-not a pro-
notion he declared.
Mr.. Greensfelder and others in
terested in the program are hopeful
some sections of the road will be
under construction in 1941 as "an
appropriate permanent part" of the
~quadricentennial celebration of the
discovery of the Mississippi River by
De Soto.
1t Is contended the new highway
would attract thousands of tourists,
bring new revenues to the Midwest,
revive historic old river towns and
save much of its own cost by mini
mizing accidents and saving lives.
The hazards of mixed traffic is
one of the strong talking points.
The Parkway Association maintains
the continuing increase" in the
number of trucks warrant the sepa-
ration of commercial from passenger
vehicles on certain trunk routes.
The development, in effect, would
be an elongated park with an av-
erage of more than so acres of
scenic landscape per mile. No signs
Or billboards would be allowed ex-
cept in certain commercial districts.
At no point would the width of the
parkway area be less than 200 feet.