DEPARTMENT CLOSES BRILLIANT YEAR

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS CIVILIZATION FOLLOWS THE IMPROVED HIGHWAY Volume VII. JULY, 1931 Number 7 Department Closes Brilliant Construction Year

ARIZONA'S state highway department closed the busiest fiscal year in its history on June 30 of this year. With one of the largest budgets ever undertaken for one year, in February of this year it was confronted with the task of expanding its operations for the remainder of the year so as to take care of approximately $3,000,000 extra money and construction under the Emergency Federal Aid act. This necessitated almost doubling the normal activities of the department. So well was the department up with its work and so carefully had its road program been mapped out ahead that with little extra effort and increase of forces the extra emergency aid construction was gotten under way and the state will have used up its entire portion by September 1, the date which the act provides all construction under that provision must be done. traffic between Phoenix and suburban towns and the traffic of U. S. 80.

One of the notable achievements was the completion of the Phoenix to Yuma highway with oil surfacing, over 85 miles being completed during the past year. This is the heaviest traveled interstate highway in Arizona and furnishes an excellent link in the transcontinental U. S. 80 route between Arizona and Califormia. Over this route all of the southern tourist travel, all of the interstate traffic and the heavy trucking between California and Arizona communities passes over this section.

Another construction project completed during the year is the new Tempe bridge. This magnificent structure, spanning the Sait river between Phoenix and Tempe, is the finest and largest bridge in the state and cost, with approaches, close to one-half million dollars. Its 36 foot deck, with pedestrian walks on each side, removes the bottle neck that existed with the use of the old 18 foot bridge that has been fast succumbing to the heavy During the year much of the road from Tombstone to Tucson was either oiled or placed under contract. Practically all of the highway between Tucson to Florence and Coolidge to the Sacaton bridge has been oiled, excepting for several contracts that will not be completed until September 1. Except for a few stretches the past year finds U. S. 80 a completely oiled boulevard across the entire southern half of the state.

U. S. 80 Greatly Improved

Likewise, the work of bringing U. S. 180 up to federal standards has progressed apace with other routes. The last contract has just been let that will complete before September 1st the entire oiling of this highway from the New Mexico border to its junction with U. S. 80 at Florence Junction.

Another heavily traveled highway that has been straightened and brought up to federal standards with the greatest portion of it oil surfaced is the part of U. S. 89 between Tucson and Nogales. Upon the completion of the contracts now under way between this border city and the Old Pueblo a highway that has caused many accidents will be turned into a delightful boulevard.

Taking advantage of Oddie-Colton money given the state, the department spread it over the improvement of Highway U. S. 60 between Castle Hot Springs junction and the Colorado river at Ehrenberg. The joint purchase of the Blythe bridge over the Colorado was negotiated with California, thus removing this toll structure and making it possible to secure federal aid for the construction of this short cut route from Central Arizona to California. Five contracts were let towards the close of the last fiscal year, two others are ready to be let, assuring that before the end of this fiscal year this important arterial highway, that is bound to become the most important commercial road in the state, will be brought up to standard, although money is not available to oil it.

Continuing northward with U. S. 60 the department completed surveys and right of way for the construction of the new highway from Globe to Showlow and two contracts were gotten under way. This will be one of the heaviest pieces of construction during the coming year and when completed this highway will afford an all-year transcontinental route through the central portion of the state that will accommodate the heavy traffic from U. S. 60 on one of the most scenic and shortest routes.

The heavy traveled east to west highway across the northern portion of the state, U. S. 66, likewise received a notable amount of improvement during the past year. Beginning at the New Mexico border, the treacherous road from Lupton in wet weather has been brought up to standard and is being oiled. The streets of Holbrook and Winslow have been paved, the state participating in their portion of the state highway. A considerable stretch has been improved between Holbrook and Winslow and the entire distance oiled between Winslow and the Forest service pavement east of Flagstaff, making this stretch complete. West of Flagstaff surveys were completed and contracts are under way for the shortening and straightening of the highway between that city and Williams. Williams to Ash Fork the highway has been brought to standard and approximately 22 miles of oil surfacing is 75 per cent complete from the Coconino county line westward through Ash Fork From the Colorado river to Oatman was oil surfaced, the Gold Roads grade greatly improved and the bad link and dangerous railroad crossings at Hackberry were removed by a line change which placed the highway on one side of the railroad. Work is under way at the present time on an overpass near Seligman.

This great amount of work could never have been done except for the thorough co-ordination of all departments in the state system. The state is divided into four districts. Each district is in charge of a district engineer. That the full magnitude of the year's work may be told, the following stories have been prepared by each district engineer and the other departments entering into the construction.