Editorial

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS ARIZONA HIGHWAYS

Published in the Interest of Good Roads by the

ARIZONA HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

CIVILIZATION FOLLOWS THE IMPROVED HIGHWAY B. B. MOEUR, Governor of Arizona ARIZONA STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION SHELTON G. DOWELL, Chairman, Douglas J. W. ANGLE, Vice-Chairman, Tucson C. E. ADDAMS, Commissioner. Phoenix A. I. WINSETT, Assistant Attorney General, Special Counsel E. C. SEALE, Commissioner, Prescott JACOB BARTH, Commissioner, St. Johns C. C. JARRETT, Secretary, Mesa GENERAL OFFICE T. S. O'CONNELL, State Highway Engineer SID SMYTH, Deputy State Engineer D. B. HUTCHINS, Vehicle Superintendent R. A. HOFFMAN, Bridge Engineer E. V. MILLER. Engineer of Plans J. W. POWERS, Engineer of Materials W. L. CARPENTER, Superintendent of Equipment SWAN A. ERICKSON, Engineer of Certification J. R. VAN HORN, Manager, State-Wide Planning Survey.

J. S. MILLS, Engineer of Estimates. H. C. HATCHER, Statistical Engineer W. M. MURRAY, Superintendent of Stores M. L. WHEELER, Chief Accountant C. R. MCDOWELL, Patrol Superintendent A. C. SIEBOTH.. Right-of-Way Agent W. F. FRERICKS, Purchasing Agent

FIELD ENGINEERS

GEORGE B. SHAFFER. District Engineer District No. 1 F. N. GRANT, District Engineer District No. 2 R. C. PERKINS, District Engineer District No. 3 W. R. HUTCHINS, District Engineer District No. 4

PERCY JONES Chief Locating Engineer

ROADS CUT CAR OPERATION COSTS

Highways pay their way by reducing the operating costs of vehicles using them, and on heavily traveled roads they return substantial profits to the public, says the United States Bureau of Public Roads after a study of the mileage of vehicle travel in three States in comparison with highway expenditures. Annual payments for highways, the Bureau reports, amounted to slightly more than one cent per mile of vehicle travel on all highways in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota, according to figures collected by this Bureau of the Department of Agriculture. In Wisconsin and Michigan the payment is 1.08 cents per mile and in Minnesota 1.1 cents per mile, according to the results of the study recently completed in these three States.

Analysis of highway costs and travel on the State system, which include Federal Aid roads, of Wisconsin and Michigan shows that payments amount to 0.83 cent and 0.86 cent per mile of travel, respectively. The figures for county roads are 1.23 cents in Wisconsin and 1.66 cents in Michigan.

The lower costs for main highways agree with the wellestablished rule that large volumes of traffic make possible the construction and maintenance of high-type surfaces at a very low cost per mile of travel.

Actual saving in vehicle operating cost resulting from replacing a dirt road with a smooth, hard surface has been variously estimated, and is probably not less than three cents a mile. On this basis, says the Bureau, a large mileage of highways is paying tremendous profits to highway users. Actual payments of gasoline taxes and motor vehicle fees, when dis-tributed in proportion to travel on different roads, show that many highways are earning substantial profits for the public. Payments per mile of travel on city streets ranged from 0.5 cents to 1.08 cents, and for township roads from 1.29 cents to 3.1 cents.

These figures are based on travel on all roads of each of the classes named.

When millions of gallons of water spewed from canyon walls. The dramatic opening of the 12 Boulder Dam outlet pipes sent streams of water rushing through steel tunnels seven feet in diameter and 180 feet above the stream. Photo by Norman G. Wallace.

Vic Householder, one of our severest critics, detected an inexcusable error in our September issue, to-wit: a photograph of Chief Manakacha of the Havasupais. We identified the gentleman as a Hopi Indian. To Mr. Householder and Chief Manakacha, our regrets.

The highway construction program goes forward in Arizona. On the right: 1-Highway 89, between Flagstaff and Cameron, showing oil palliative surface; 2-Newly completed seal coat on Navahopi Trail near Cameron; 3-Boulder Dam highway crushing and grading plant for oil mix: 4-The new Peoria underpass; 5-Highway 66, showing construction fill from rock in heavy cut near Crozier Canyon; 6-Highways 70 and 89. The bridge under construction over Queen Creek near Florence Junction; 7-Drilling deep holes on Highway 66 near Valentine; 8-The new highway between Petrified Forest and Concho; 9-Heavy rock construction on Highway 66, near Valentine; 10-Highway 260. five miles: north of Concho, showing new curveeliminating construction: 11-Spreading oil mix on the Boulder Dam road: 12-Oak creek highway, 14 miles South of Flagstaff. The palliative treatment is being applied on this road.THE WALL SIDE IS ALWAYS ON HIS SIDE WHEN HE MEETS A FELLOW TRAVELER - ON A NARROW GRADE !!!