Evening star., 1946-09-26
Virginia A||ots
. II Millions for
PrimaryRodds
Eight Districts to Get
Construction Funds ir
Coming Fiscal Year
O by the Associoted Press

State Highway Commission yester-
day tentatively allocated $17,625,-
z8l for primary road construction
in Virginia for the eight construc-
tion districts during the fiscal year
1919.
Even though it was described by
Highway Department spokesmen as
a record high in ALLEGATIONS, it was
pointed out that increased road
building and repair costs and other
factors, would prevent the sum from
going possibly half as far as the
same amount would in prewar
years.
On the basis of estimates of funds
becoming available in the year be-
ginning July l, 1947, s13,O62, ,463 are
State funds and $4,562,818 Federal.
Increased Costs Cited.
In citing increased costs in high
way work, the commission stated
that bridge costs in particular have
scared above those of prewar years,
1e0 per cent increases in such costs
are the rule rather than the excep-
ton. The scarcity of lumber for
forms and the uncertainty of both
the quantity and quality of skilled
and unSkilled labor are among the
principal items contributing to high
bridge costs"
Roads COSTS" said the commits
sion, continue to rise and now are
as much as 70 per cent above those
of 194O.'
AS evidence of the rising costs of
highway building, the commission
pointed out that about IS, ZOO, 900, or
one-third of the total allotment, had
10 be earmarked to supplement pre-
vious allocations for projects already
under way or scheduled.
Accident Rate Up.
due to the rising accident rate
ana the tremendous toll in pedes-
trian fatalities, the commission, for
the first time, set aside large sums
in each district to cover the cost
Of sidewalk construction along prin-
cipal highways in congested areas"
The commission stated.
Large sums also were allocated to
rejects to relieve hazard and con-
estion on major arteries, and a
considerable sum was allocated to
provide an all-weather surface on
IA large proportion of the 6O0-odd
miles of non-hardsurfaced roads re-
naming in the primary system.
The commission emphasized that
it had less than 10 cents on the
dollar with which to meet immedi-
ate needs, and for that reason, many
badly needed Improvements will
have to wait until additional funds
become available"
In designating public hearings on
the tentative ALLEGATIONS, the COM
mission departed from a previous
practice of holding two hearings and
announced that three have been
scheduled in the Washington area
as follows:
Culpeper, Staunton and Lynch
burg districts at Charlottesville
County Court House October %, and
for the Richmond, Fredericksburg
and Suffolk districts at Richmond
in the Central Highway Office Build
ing october "a
. Million for Primary System.
OF the money allocated, s15,625,-
281 was apportioned on the basis
of area, population and mileage, the
remaining 100000 on the basis of
uncompleted mileage in the primary
system as provided for in an act
of the General Assembly. Totals
for the districts:
Bristol, s2,522,951; Salem, $685.
OTIS; Lynchburg. $2,147,8 1874; Rich
mond, $2,526,117; Suffolk, 81, 400 ,851;
Fredericksburg, 81 ,351 BAT; Culpeper,
S2,105 ,309; Staunton, $2,205 ,297.
With the allocations was a revised
estimate of highway fund revenues
for 1947-8, which figured the total
amount of revenue for the year at
s42,040, 500. of which S3,469 ,109 was
set aside to go to other State agen-
cies including the Division of Motor
Vehicles and Department of State
Police, leaving $3S,57l 800 available
to the Highway Department.
Bolstering the State funds will be
s6,538,578 in regular and secondary
Federal aid for a total of s45 ,109,-
968.75 for the Highway Department.
Secondary road construction and
maintenance was put at $18,O47,177
and 100000 for primary mainte-
nance and construction. Other
items of expense will leave SIT $685.
281 for the tentative ALLEGATION
Also approved by ehe"commission
were contract awards on three prof.
ects and rejected bids on three
others as being too high. Among
those awarded were Route 234, be-
tween Stone House and Manassas,
Robert T. Main, jr., Roanoke, $71 ,489,
and Route $50, section of the Shir-
ley Highway, Waller Paving Co.,
Salisbury, Md, 1881 1884.