Evening star., 1940-12-09
Roadside betterment
Private Agency Job,
j. ). Official Asserts
Defense Tokes All Effort
OF Federal Bureau,
He Tells Conference
BY RUDOLPH KAUFFMANN, III,

BY RUDOLPH KAUFMAN, III,
Star Stan Correspondent.
NEW YORK, Dec. 9-The Public
Roads Administration is faced with
a national defense highway problem
OF such size that it must give the
protection and improvement of
roadsides a back seat temporarily
and rely on the organizations such
as the Joint Committee on Road
side Improvement to carry the ball
for the time being.
This view, which reflects that of
the administration in Washington,
was taken today by Wilbur H. ST.
monson of the Public Roads Admin
istration before the opening session
Of the joint conference at the Rus
sell Sage Foundation here today.
He pointed out, however, that the
administration has very much In
mind roadside improvement and pro-
lection as part of its long-term
highway program.
AS evidence of this, he said, Con-
gress in its 1910 Federal Highway
Act, approved September S, for the
first time permitted States to employ
3 per cent of Federal aid appropria-
tions. without matching them dollar
for dollar. for purchase of selected
scenic sites along highways. This
Is a tangible expression of the
Federal interest in the problem" he
said.
100 Officials Attending.
The joint conference is the second
of its kind ever held and is sponsored
by the American Planning and Civic
Association, the Conservation Com
mittee of the Garden Club of Amer
lea, the American Nature Association
and the National Roarside Con-
ference. In attendance are ap-
proximately 100 Federal, State and
civic highway and roadside improve
ment officials.
Watchword of the conference is:
Improved locations, designs and
treatments of highways, parkways
and other public ways.
Improved methods of control in
the public interest of private prop
erty adjoining public rights of way"
Mr.. Simonson said that, of the
IS 5,O00-mile strategic highway net
work needed for national defense,
1000 miles are less than 18 feet in
width and $4,000 miles are deficient
in surface strength. Furthermore,
he said, 2,4O0 bridges fall below sur
face strength and 500 additional
bridges do not meet the 18-foot
standard of width or the 1917 foot
standard for clearance. In addition,
he said, that portion of the stra-
tegic system passing through ur-
ban areas, while not large in point
of mileage, will be expensive to bring
up to national defense standards.
Access Roads Also Needed.
On top of the interregional ma
tional defense highway system, Mr.
Simonson said, there is the need for
$194 900 900 worth of improvements
to 1900 miles of access roads to mil
itary and naval establishments, and
many more miles of access roads to
new defense industry plants will be-
come necessary when these are
finally located.
In addition, 1900 miles of road
within such establishments and
tactical roads in areas to be used
for ge-scale training maneuvers
must be improved, he went on.
"Such immediate work will of ne
cessity be Of the simplest and most
practical type, with little oppor-
tunity for roadside improvement
considerations beyond the basic
stages of construction, Mr.. Simon
son said.
However, he pointed out that a
very large part of the work indicated
under these categories is on roads
required for civil use, although their
improvement with regular road
funds would perhaps distort to some
extent the normal peacetime pro-
gram.
Construction of many important
projects, Sucn as express highways
through cities; must take their place
in the long term highway program,
he said.
Challenge to Conference Seen.
The roadside improvement and
protective control, he said. which
parallels advances in engineering
technique, will have to be forwarded
by national organizations and con-
ferences such as this, especially
along legislative lines.
Here is the challenge to this
conference" he asserted. "The as
sociated groups represented at this