The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1959-05-29
cause Not Lost Yet Reaction
Here Creets Interstate Report
COnsultants
Say Northern
Link Is Best

The report of consulting engi-
neers this week recommending the
northern link paralleling Route $50
for Virginia east-West Interstate
Route "a failed to overcome belief
here that the southern route re-
mains possibility.
Neither did spokesman at Farm
vile indicate that their effort on
behalf Of the southern link following
Routes 360460 through the Farm
vile Lynchburg Roanoke areas
has ended
The consulting engineers, Ed
wards and Kelley, of Newark,
N j.. were retained for a com
parative report of the two links last
February by the State Highway
Commission
The report lists advantages for
both routes. but concludes with
recommendation Of the northern
route because its advantages ex-
coed those of the southern link.
particularly With respect to its flu
ture economic effects
Mayors Views
Mayor w. f. Watkins, Jr, Of
Farmville. expressed keen disap-
pointment over the recommends
ton We're certainly disappointed,
but we still think the southern route
is the Wisest choice It's selection
will do far more for Southside and
Southwest Virginia than the north
ern route will do for its area, and
that is important to the whole
State.
G. H. Goodwin, president Of the
Farmville Chamber Of Commerce,
which has worked actively in sup
port Of the southern route, said he
is sure businessmen here are not
ready to concede defeat yet.
The new report, of course, could
be deciding factor. but its recon-
mendation may have been as much
face-saving gesture for previous
recommendations as anything else.
Il believe the final decision will
have to take into account a great
deal more than the report of con-
sultlng engineers There are many
facts supporting the southern route !,
and | hope we'll try to influence
the ultimate decision as long as We
can, Goodwin said
The Highway Commission now will
huddle with the various reports it
has to reach a decision. Chairman
Samuel D. May indicated Wednes-
day therell be no more public hear
ings, however. He said the Com
mission will accept written objec-
tons to the newest report until
June TO-
Formal Action
The Water Level Route Assocla-
ton, organized to promote the south
ern route. probably will file such
objections after members and di-
rectors have studied the engineer
report No official word of such &C
ton has been declared, however.
Statements taking exceptions to
the report have come from Rich
mond City Manager Horace Ed
wards and a property owners or
ganization in Albemarle which OPP
poses construction through t III a
county. The Richmond city council
had endorsed the southern link as
best fitting in with the capital city's
traffic situation.
The consultants report that the
northern route would offer several
advantages, including: greater di-
rect benefits to highway users in
proportion to the cost of construc-
ton. 81 million dollars less to
build, alienation of restricted traf-
fic conditions on existing roadWays
TO greater degree; shorter in
overall length between common
points by about % miles; serve
more vehicles per mile of road
way; higher rate of traffic growth,
and serve a greater number Of tons
Of net load per mile
The advantages of the southern
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