EDITORIAL PAGE

Page Ten ARIZONA HIGHWAYS JULY, 1931 Arizona Highways

Published in the Interest of Good Roads by the ARIZONA HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

Vol. VII. JULY, 1931 No. 7

Subscription Rates: $1.00 Per Year. Single Copy: 10 Cents Advertising Rates on Request Address All Communications to Editor ARIZONA HIGHWAYS Arizona Highway Department Phoenix, Arizona

MAKING THE HIGHWAYS SAFE

In the construction of a highway today much thought must be given to the traffic it will bear. It must be built up from the grade to the wearing surface with the point in mind of standing the traffic that will travel over it for years to come. Such factors are determined by careful analysis of the territory served by the highway at the present time and estimates as to the future development.

One of the factors, besides load to be carried, that enters into modern road building is the speed of present -day traffic and the factor of safety. Highways of today and the future must be able to carry their loads at ever increasing speeds, and to that end the highway department attempts to build them safe beyond the requirements they should have to meet.

Curves in Arizona are constructed that should be safely negotiated by an automobile at over 50 miles an hour, although the speed limit is 35 miles. But the engineers cannot take care of the foolhardy that want to take the turns at 60 or 70 miles an hour. The highways are carefully signed to warn the drivers of all hazards such as cross roads, dips, curves and anything which demands caution on the part of the operators of motor vehicles, but the drivers who will not read and will not heed them cannot be protected.

The highways are being built wider, largely as a safety factor, and this expense in construction is enormous, but wider roads will not protect the careless driver. A twenty-foot oiled highway ought to be wide enough for any driven to pass another car on, yet the common complaint of reckless drivers for their accidents are, they hit a soft shoulder. The shoulder of the road is not meant to be driven upon, but to protect the surfaced portion of the highway. When a person finds himself on the shoulder of a highway he can place it to his own, or that of the passing driver's, carelessness. A maintenance man reports meeting a truthful driver not long ago. He found him in the ditch. Expecting the usual complaint when he stopped he asked, "What's the matter, soft shoulders?" "No," replied the motorist. "A hard one. 1 struck the headwall of that culvert back there."

Arizona's highways are built safe. If the Arizona drivers will use them for highways instead of speedways, there is no need for the high percentage of accidents that occur in this state.

MEETING THE EMERGENCY

The Arizona Highway Department has just closed a building program greater by far than anything before attempted by the state, the department arose to the occasion with the result that every bit of Federal Aid, which it was able to take, including the Emergency Federal Aid offered by the government, the first of the present year, will be completed by September 1.

This ability of the department to meet the emer gency has greatly helped to relieve the unemploy ment situation in the state. On July 1 there were over 2,600 men employed upon state highway construction, 1,750 of these being employed by the contractors on state work.

The department has seen that these men working upon the highway are citizens of the state, and it has been able to have the wage schedules maintained to standard levels. This has been the one bright spot in the economic conditions generally in the state, due to the depressed conditions in agriculture and the mines with the attendant unemployment in al communities.

But the peak of state aid has been passed. At the present time approximately 40 projects are under way by the highway department in the state. Most of these contracts must be completed by September 1. The normal construction of the department will call for approximately 20 construction projects. It can thus be readily seen that by September 1 half of the men employed by contractors in highway work wili be out of employment and many employed by the state likewise will be idle.

There are no funds in sight to continue the pace that highway construction has been going for the past few months. Something else must be done by the people of the state to further meet the emer gency. Conditions generally are on the mend. It is time that private enterprise began to take up the load of relieving the unemployment situation by increasing their own employment needs. Building that needs to be done should be started; materials have not been so cheap in many years, thus making it a logical time to build. Our citizens must have work to support themselves and their families. Conditions can be greatly improved if every employer in the state will try to increase his employment, and when he does, be sure they are Arizona citizens he is putting to work.

Northern Improvements Remove Many Bad Spots

These two projects, 95-A and 95-B, represent all of the work done by the state during the year. However, the U. S. Government completed a Forest Project miles long, which eliminated the terrific grade out of the House Rock valley entering the Kaibab Forest. The Government also has a Forest Project 8.4 miles long, extending from the end of the above mentioned 4 mile project west to Jacobs Lake. It was 30 per cent completed on June 30, 1931. The State contributed $100,000.00 to these projects.

The completion of these project on U. S. 89 will mean an improved road coming south from the Utah line for 52 miles to House Rock valley. Then 32 miles of rough unimproved road to the Grand Canyon Bridge. Then 35 miles more of rough, unimproved road to connect with north end of Proj. 95-B. Then 40 miles of new road to Cameron. From Cameron to the junction with U. S. 66, distance 49 miles, there is a fair road, although not improved to modern standards.

On U. S. Route 70, work was as follows: Federal Aid Project 73, extending from Springerville 15.3 miles east to the New Mexico State line. The first contract for building a 24 ft. road and drainage structures, was practically completed at beginning of the year. The second contract was for placing subgrade stabilizer, and was completed in January, 1931.

Federal Aid Project 78-F, beginning about 5.5 miles southeast of Holbrook and extending 5.5 miles northwest to the city limits of Holbrook. Work consists of grading a 24 ft. road, building drainage structures and placing subgrade stabilizer. The old concrete arch bridge 4 miles east of Holbrook will continue to be used. Contract was awarded in March to H. L. Royden, and was 70 per cent completed on June 30, 1931.

Federal Aid Project 78-D, the paving of 0.25 miles in the town of Holbrook by the Southwest Paving Co., was practically completed at beginning of the fiscal year. This was a two course emulsified asphalt pavement.

Summary of U. S. Route 75 shows 21.0 miles, total improved during year.

On State Route 77, from Holbrook to McNary Junction, there was no new construction or betterment during the year, although considerable widening between Holbrook and Snowflake was done by Maintenance forces.

On State Route 73, between Springerville and McNary, there was no road construction, but 3,000 feet of snow drift fence was built.

On State Route 79, from Sedona to Flagstaff, no construction was done by the State. However, the U. S. Government has two Forest Project under construction in Upper Oak Creek, totalling 5.7 miles.

One of these, Forest Project 7-C, begins on the rim 15 miles south of Flagstaff, and drops 800 feet in 2.8 miles. The contract is for building a 22 ft. roadbed and drainage structures. It was 50 per cent completed on June 30, 1931. The second project, 7-D, begins at south end of 7-C, and extends south 2.9 miles and was completed 40 per cent on June 30, 1931. The state contributed $50,000.00 to these projects.

Roads of District Three Are Highly Improved

(Continued from Page Eight) ing Canyon, thus completing all construction between White River and McNary.

In Maintenance District No. 3 eight patrol foremen and 70 men are required to maintain all roads in District No. 3. Twenty-two construction projects were completed last year in District No. 3, costing $1,134,602.27. (Continued from Page Nine) way, 5 miles, $58,272.66; grading, bridges and culverts and surfacing, not completed, Benson to Douglas highway, 7.6 miles, $126.454.34; grading, bridges and culverts and a 3 inch oil cake, not completed, Florence to Tucson highway, 8.34 miles, $97.714.67; grading, bridges and culverts and a 3 inch oil cake, not completed, Florence to Tucson highway, 31.04 miles, $259,799.84; grading, bridges and culverts and surfacing, not completed, Tucson-Nogales highway, 12.7 miles, $121,675.92; grading and concrete paving, Florence streets, 3 miles, $81,825.76; grading, bridges and culverts, overpass and 18 miles 3 inch oil cake, Florence to Tucson highway, $210,882.46; grading, bridges and culverts and surfacing, not completed, $33,282.41; oil surfacing 3 inch cake, not completed, Tucson to Nogales, 7.7 miles, $40,391.94; seal coat, 7.5 miles, Benson to Douglas highway, $1,974.10; concrete bridge on Benson to Vail highway, $11,899.50; seal coat on Benson to Douglas, 1 mile, $409.76; concrete bridge on Tucson to Nogales highway, $9,209.62; oil surfacing 3 inch oil cake, Tucson to Benson, 21.2 miles, $106,498.79; grading, bridges and culverts and 3 inch oil cake, Tucson to Nogales, 8.7 miles, $131,412.72; grading, bridges and culverts, not completed, $14,287.01; grading, bridges and culverts and 3 inch oil cake, not completed, Benson to Vail highway, 18 miles, $9,855.64.

Oil Surfacing Features Southern District Work New Federal Aid Projects

Dry Lake to Willcox, grading and surfacing, Douglas to Safford, 4.5 miles, $25,593.87; Casa Grande to Picacho, grading, bridges and culverts, subgrade stabilizer and mineral aggregate, 16.5 miles, $18,468.09; Nogales-Patagonia, timber bridge, $12,135.86. Vail-Benson, survey of 10 miles and right of way, $537.04; Picacho-Red Rock, Florence to Tucson highway, 20 miles, $11,772.83; Chandler-Coolidge, 18 miles, $9,527.56; Curtis Flats to Tombstone, $5,694.52; Bisbee Hill, $10,397.96; Casa Grande-Gila Bend, $677.16;. Nogales-Pata-gonia, $5,999.50.