Editorials

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS ARIZONA HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT

Published in the Interest of Good Roads by the

Vol. IX

JUNE, 1933

No. 6

ARIZONA STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION

SHELTON G. DOWELL, Chairman, Douglas RAY N. VYNE, Vice-Chairman, Prescott JACOB BARTH, Commissioner, St. Johns MONTE MANSFIELD, Commissioner, Tucson C. E. ADDAMS, Commissioner, Phoenix C. C. JARRETT, Secretary, Mesa

GENERAL OFFICE

SID SMYTH, T. S. O'CONNELL, State Highway Engineer Deputy State Engineer E. M. WHITWORTH, Vehicle Superintendent R. A. HOFFMAN, Bridge Engineer E. V. MILLER, Engineer of Plans J. W. POWERS, Engineer of Materials J. S. MILLS, Engineer of Estimates H. C. HATCHER, Statistical Engineer W. H. MURRAY, Superintendent of Stores M. L. WHEELER, Chief Accountant C. R. McDOWELL, Patrol Superintendent.

J. A. FRAPS, Engineer Certification Board

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

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ARIZONA HIGHWAYS

Arizona Highway Department

Phoenix, Arizona

THE BIG DAM AT BOULDER

The far reaching value of construction as a means of relieving unemployment is again demonstrated in the work being carried on at Boulder Dam.

Two hundred men will be engaged for 250,000 man hours in the next six months in an Eastern factory in building the huge cylindrical gates to be installed in the largest American irrigation project.

Each of the eight massive cylinders will be thirty-two feet in diameter and eight feet high, and will weigh 240 tons. Almost 4,000,000 pounds of steel castings, electric arc welded steel plate, bronze, copper and other metals will go into the construction.

Because of the cylinders' great size they will be made in electric are welded segments and shipped to the dam where they will be assembled. It is estimated that ninety-six freight cars will be required for the 2,000 mile rail journey to the dam-site.

Work on the Boulder Dam is progressing rapidly. Recent visitors express surprise at the progress so far made. The stupendous undertaking, greatest of its kind ever attempted in the United States, is well worth a trip to Boulder City, which may be reached over the new road leading north from Kingman.

MAINTAINING OUR HIGHWAYS

To the average citizen who enjoys the benefits derived from our modern highway system there is a revelation in a recent statement by Thomas H. MacDonald, chief of the U. S. Bureau of Public Roads, on the problem of maintenance.

"The public has no conception," says Mr. Mac-Donald, "of the fragile character measured by time durability of perhaps 75 per cent of our sufaced mileage. The lack of adequate maintenance would be seriously noticed on 75 per cent of our roads within thirty days; within six months we would be losing money so fast (through depreciation and drops in gas-tax revenues) that we would soon not have enough money to take care of the fixed charges and maintenance alone to say nothing about ruining our chances of even approximating the upwards of a billion dollars' income from the road-user taxes obtained last year from adequately maintained roads."

In Arizona the maintenance cost of an incompleted road, that is, a highway built for the reception of an oil surface which has not yet received the asphaltic treatment, due to necessary replacements, is approximately $700 a mile per year. After completion this cost is reduced to $400 a mile. Maintenance expense comes from state revenues. The federal government does not participate. The economic value of rapid completion is obvious.

OUR COVER PICTURE

On the front cover page of this month's Arizona Highways is a picture of Sabino Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson. In these mountains which are only a few miles distant from the state's second city may be found numerous scenes of beauty and grandeur. The Catalinas are a mecca for summer residents from all parts of Central Arizona and numerous attractive cottages dot the hillsides, particularly in the vicinity of Oracle on the northern slope. Though not so generally known as those of the north, streams in the Catalina, Graham and Chiracahua Mountains in the southern part of the state provide excellent trout fishing. They are easily reached over good roads from any of the towns and cities adjacent to the ranges. Catches of twelve and fourteen inch trout have been reported recently from these sections and sportsmen have been successful in many instances in securing the bag limit within a few hours time.