ROAD CONDITIONS, ARIZONA STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM

These conditions were reported as of June 10th, 1932. Changes will occur on roads under construction according to progress of the work. (Editor's Note).

U. S. Route 80, Yuma to Rodeo, 510 miles. All paved, oil surfaced or graveled -condition good. Two and a half miles under construction, Bisbee Hill, two short detours, good condition.

U. S. Route 66, Topock to Lupton, 396 miles-gravel surface, oil or paved. Condition good.

U. S. Route 180, Florence Junction to state line, 183 miles oil surfaced, good condition except 13 miles oil surface under construction from Bylas to Matthews Wash.

State Route 88, Apache Trail Junction to Globe, 83 miles gravel surface. Condition good.

State Route 73, Cutter to McNary, 104 miles, gravel surfaced Cutter to Rice and White River to McNary; otherwise unimproved. Condition fair.

State Route 71, Coronado Trail, Clifton Junction to Springerville, 157 miles-gravel and partly surfaced. Open to traffic April 10-Caution advised.

State Route 84, Tucson to Gila Bend, 124 miles. Oil surfaced Tucson to county line, oil surfaced to Picacho. Gravel surfaced Casa Grande to Gila Bend. Road under construction Red Rock to Picacho. Short detour. Fair condition.

U. S. Route 70, Holbrook to state line, 109 miles gravel surfaced, condition good to excellent.

State Route 79, Prescott to Flagstaff, 91 miles-gravel or oil surfaced to Sedona, Sedonia to Flagstaff graded and drained. Condition good excepting for Oak Creek Canyon. The contractor is closing the road at intermittent periods of the day on account of construction. Oak Creek to Flagstaff slow in wet weather.

State Route 60, Wickenburg to Ehrenberg, 134 miles. Wickenburg west 20 miles under construction, short detour, condition good. Next six miles to Aguilla, good; Aguilla to Salome partly improved and well maintained. Hope to Quartzsite good condition. Quartzsite to Ehrenberg, 20 miles, condition good.

State Route 81, Douglas to Safford, 128 miles-gravel surfaced. Condition good.

State Route 87, Chandler to Picacho, 51 miles gravel or oil surfaced.

State Route 187, Sacaton Dam to Casa Grande, 13 miles gravel surfaced. Condition good.

State Route 83, Vail Junction to Sonoita, 28 miles-gravel surfaced. Good.

State Route 82, Nogales to Tombstone Junction, 70 miles-gravel surfaced. Good.

U. S. Route 89, Nogales to Fredonia, 66 miles-gravel, oil and paved surface to Flagstaff, graded and drained to 40 miles north of Cameron. Cedar Ridge to House Rock Canyon, desert road. From House Rock Canyon to Fredonia improved.

Untreated Surfaces Cost Too Much

Two papers, given at the 1932 Highway Conference of the University of Colorado, assert to the accepted fact that the necessary annual replacements of gravel on untreated roads cost too much, in actual money, without any consideration being given to the element of danger due to the dust hazard nor the lost time due to necessarily slower travel.

Mr. George W. Marks, District Engineer, Wyoming Highway Department, states, "Until four years ago we considered the gravel surface a fair standard. At that time the maintenance costs on these roads began to increase rapidly and it became apparent that something must be done to decrease the loss of material which on some projects amounted to as much as 20 per cent a year. This loss was due as much to the wear as to the high winds prevalent in some sections of Wyoming. The oil mix seemed and in most cases proved to be the solution of our problems."

In Kansas, according to Mr. Frank S. Gilmore, Assistant Maintenance Engineer, the demand for all-weather roads was answered, between 1925 and 1930, by using various types of gravel for surfacing. "An increase in the amount and speed of the traffic using these gravel surfaces introduced new hazards and objections. During wet weather they became sloppy, slippery and rough. During dry weather they may or may not present a smooth surface, but if they carry any traffic whatever the dust not only becomes a nuisance but a source of real danger."

Oil processing these gravel surfaces has "reduced the maintenance costs and improved the roads and we can be satisfied to know that future treatments will be adding to the existing surfaces rather than replacing lost materials."

THREE TIMES AND OUT

Johnny giggled when the teacher read the story of a man who swam a river three times before breakfast.

"You do not doubt that a trained swimmer could do that, do you?" asked the teacher.

"No, sir," replied Johnny, "but I wonder why he didn't make it four times and get back to where his clothes were."