The Sikeston Herald from Sikeston, Missouri • Page 58

PAGE FIFTY-EIGHT THE SIKESTON (MO.) HERALD THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 194L. High Lights of Missouri State Road Program 1920-1940 Inclusive Below is given a summary of State and Federal Highway construction in Missouri since the Adoption of the Centennial Road law in 1920, with especial mention of Southeast Missouri's participation in the good roads program: 1920. State Wide: Sixty-million-dollar bond issue voted on at regular election on November 2. The passage of this amendment made it possible to speed up the road construction program throughout the entire State. 116 miles of State highways completed at approximate cost of $1,593,000.

Local Interests: Local funds received in various counties in Southeast Missouri by Bond Issues and Funds were expended under the Morgan-McCullough Law as follows: Scott $119,94534 Bellinger $214,759.70 Butler $394,517.13 Cape Girardeau 47,478.82 Dunklin $868,028.21 Madison $190,127.37 Mississippi $585,437.81 New Madrid $230,585.22 Pemiscot 56,716.27 Ripley Stoddard Wayne 55,379.60 $244,283.04 89,541.22 1921. State Wide: Centennial Road Law creating the State Highway Commission, passed by General Assembly in November. $60,000,000 bond issue is author- teed by General Assembly. 272 miles of State highways -were hard-surfaced at total cost of approximately $8,000,000. First State Highway Commission appointed by Governor in December.

Local Interests: One of the first concrete paved roads in the State was completed between Charleston and Birds Point, in Mississippi county, by Roy L. Williams, contractor, at a final cost of $489,086.17. 1922. State Wide: 614 miles of hard-surfaced Broads were completed. 708 miles of graded earth roads were completed and ready for surfacing.

Total cost of construction was Local Interests: 226.9 miles of hard-surfaced Toads under construction or completed in Division 10. 1923. State Wide: 414 miles of State roads were iiard-surfaced. 1924. State Wide: Proposition No.

5, authorizing a. tax on gasoline and increasing automobile registration fees votec on favorably at November election 1,633 miles of State roads hard- surfaced to date (December 1) This mileage represents per cent of the entire State highway system estimated at 7640 miles, total. 1,833 miles of State highways graded to date. 605 miles of State highways were completed or placed under contract for hard-surfacing. 1925.

State Wide: 400 miles of State highways hard-surfaced. 1926. State Wide- The State Highway Commission sold $55,000,000 worth of bonds for road construction to date. The State Highway Department has completed 3336 miles of hard- surfaced roads and 1500 miles of graded earth roads are ready for surfacing. Over 50 per cent of State highway system, authorized by Centennial Road Law, completed.

636 miles of State highways Jiard-flurfaced. Local Interests: Concrete paving on Federal Highway 61 completed across Pemiscot county. 1927. State Wide: 347 miles of State highway; were hard-surfaced. Local Centennial Road System completed to date as follows: Scott County 68 per cent Stoddard county 27 per cent.

Mississippi 40 per cent New Madrid 43 per cent. Southeast Missouri sufferec worst flood in history since 184-5 Few mam highways closed to traffic by inundation. 1928. State Wide: Present road system set out in Centennial Road Law and including refunds to counties, about $206.600,000 at this time. $75,000,000 Bond Issue Amendment known as Proposition No.

3 adopted by vote of the people at November election. The passage of this amendment enabled the State Highway Commission to enlarge the road program to include some 5,000 miles of State Supplementary Roads, commonly called "Farm-to-Market Roads" and add 300 miles to State major road system. 767 miles of State highways were hard-surfaced. Local Interests: First traffic survey was made to determine most important routes constructed to date and to assist the engineers in planning improvements for future work. This survey was conducted by Division 10 personnel.

Bids were received on January 31 for State Highway office building at Jefferson City. 1929. State Wide: 608 miles of State highways were hard-surfaced, bringing the total mileage to 4390.6 miles. 1930. State Wide: Primary and Secondary Highway System approximately 74.6 per cent completed.

1315.6 miles of State highways hard-surfaced and 456 miles of Farm-to-Market roads completed or placed under contract. Local Interests: 24.6 miles of Farm-to-Market roads graded and 9.1 miles surfaced with gravel. Concrete pavement on Federal Highway No. 61, across New Madrid and Cape Girardeau counties, completed. 1931.

State Wide: 1838 miles of State highways completed or placed under contract, bringing mileage to 7544 for the entire State. HEADQUARTERS BUILDING OF DIVISION NO 10, STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT AT SIKESTON Secondary System per cent. 300 miles--Additional System per cent. Supplementary System per cent. Local Interests: 115.2 miles of Farm-to-Market roads completed or placed under contract at a cost of 5437,564.00.

88.4 miles of major system completed or placed under contract at a cost of $1,385,285.00. Federal Emergency Relief Administration furnished a amounting- to $43,635.00 and the State Highway Commission furnished materials and equipment costing $60,684.00 while grading 16 miles and placing gravel surface on 36.1 miles of the Farm-to- Market system. Grade separation over Missouri Pacific Railroad and bridge over Black River at Poplar Bluff on Route 60, Butler county, complet- d. Widening of Route 84, Pemiscot Local Interests: State Highway Department, Division No. 10 office building and garage completed at Sikeston, December 30, at a final cost of $71,588.00, including the building site.

Concrete pavement along Federal Highway No. 61 completed across Scott county. 1932. State Wide: 1640 miles of State highways hard-surfaced. Local Interests: 1663 miles of Farm-to-Market roads completed or placed under contract at a cost of $521,546.00.

55.3 miles of Secondary Road system were completed at a cost of approximately $1,013,213.00. The last gravel gap on Federal Highway 60 in Stoddard county paved with concrete. Large bridge on Diversion Channel, on Route 25 at Dutchtown in Cape Girardeau county, completed. 109.4 miles of heavily-traveled gravel highways in Madison, Wayne, Butler and Dunklin counties treated with oil mat by Divi- iion maintenance department at cost of $116,000 00. Division 10 personnel, in cooperation with other divisions, a State-wide traffic urvey.

1933. State Wide. National Industrial Recovery Act enacted by Congress. This act allocated $12,180,305.00 to the tate of Missouri and made it possible for it to construct addi- roads and make necessary improvements to the present sys- roads completed or placed under contract at a cost of $337,856.00. 82.0 miles of roads on major system completed or placed under contract at cost of $887,885.00.

18.7 miles of concrete pavement under construction at cost of $705,254.00. Federal relief agencies, in conjunction with State forces, completed 39.8 miles on Supplementary System, the State's share of cost being $112,477.00 and the Federal share, $71,078.00. 82 per cent of year's program financed by Federal Aid Funds. Route 25, between Jackson and Perry county line, being paved with concrete. Route 60, along Malone avenue in Sikeston, widened 12 feet with concrete pavement, curb and gutter.

1937. Local Interests: 145.7 miles of State highways were inundated in Southeast Missouri by flood waters from various sources between January 22 and county, from one lane to 2-lane, Febraury 5. The Division personnel assisted government agencies in the evacuation of flooded completed between Hayti and Kennett. 1935. Local Interests: 160 miles of Farm-to-Market roads, costing completed or placed under contract.

59.4 miles on major system, costing $409,076.00, completed or placed under contract. Federal Relief Agencies in cooperation with State forces, completed 74.6 miles on Supplementary System. Federal Highway Route 60, Mississippi county, atop Government levee, between Wyatt and Birds' Point, graded and surfaced with flood relief funds. Grade separation over Frisco Railroad on Federal Highway Route 62, New Madrid county, near Lilbourn, under construction. 1936.

Local Interests: 47.6 miles of Farm-to-Market areas. 37 miles were constructed or placed under contract on Farm-to- Market system at a cost of $209,716.00. 42 miles constructed or placed under contract on major system, costing $799,700.00. 24 miles of concrete pavement under way. Federal relief agencies, in conjunction with.

State Highway forces, built 14.9 miles of Supplementary Highways. 89 per cent of the year's program financed with Federal Aid funds. Paving on Route 25, from Bloomfield north to Aquilla in Stoddard county, completed. Paving on Route 67, Butler county, from Poplar Bluff north to Wayne county, under construction. Grade separation over Cotton Belt Railroad on Route 55, Scott I Bridge was constructed over St.

county, near Chaffee, completed. Francis river on Route 53 near Qulin, and concrete pavement section each side of bridge under construction. Route 60, Mississippi county-high type of surface placed on road atop Government levee between Wyatt and Cairo bridge, completed. Route 60, Mississippi county-concrete pavement from Charleston east to Thad Snow corner, under construction. Route 62, New Madrid county, concrete pavement under construction from Risco east.

Two bridges widened on Route 61, Pemiscot county, south of Portage ville. Sodium vapor lighting system installed at Frisco grade crossing on Route 60, in Sikeston. 1940. Local interests: 38.7 miles on Secondary System and 20.6 miles on Farm-to- Market system, were placed under contract, with total valuation of the construction work being $1,305,318.00. 98.8 per cent of year's work financed by Federal Aid funds.

16.8 miles of concrete pavement built or under construction. Bridge at Greenville, across the St. Francis river on Route 67, in Wayne county, let by contract November 29, at a bid price of $323,592.68. Six bridges were widened on IT. S.

Route 60, Butler county, east of Poplar Bluff. Paving of Delta gap on Route 25, Cape Girardeau county under way. 1938. State Wide: $42,187,262.00 spent or committed to Supplementary Highways to date. Legislature passed an act raising tax on motor vehicle fuels from two cents to three cents per gallon.

This act was referred to the people and defeated at general election in November. Citizens Road Association submitted, by initiative petition, a Constitutional amendment providing for 5,000 miles of additional Farm-to-Market roads, authorizing construction within towns of over 2500 population and fixing existing rates of motor fuel fees and gasoline taxes for ten years. This proposed amendment was defeated at the November election. Local Interests: 81 miles of roads were completed or placed under contract on Farm-to-Market system at a cost of $287,089.00. No funds were spent on major system.

62 per cent of year's program financed by Federal Aid funds. 60 miles of highways constructed from funds other than State, such as WPA, City, Special Road District, County or Federal, and were taken into the State system by formal action of the State Highway Commission. These roads were then placed under maintenance and Improvements were made to bring them up to State standards. 1939. Local Interests: 38.5 miles of various types of roadway let by contract at a cost of $855,990 00.

25.5 miles were completed on major system and 13.0 miles on Farm-to-Market system. The State Highway Department spent $75,568.00, reconditioning roads taken over into the system. NEW HIGHWAY OFFICE BUILT TEN YEARS AGO Paving on Route 53, Dunklin county, northwest of Campbell, under way. Paving on Route 67, Madison county, south of Fredericktown, under construction. Paving on Route 60, Mississippi county, between Thad Snow's corner and Set-Back Levee, under way.

After years of conducting the affairs of the divisional office of the State Highway Department in makeshift quarters on the second floor of the Sikeston city hall, the local Highway Department offi- cials and employees took possession on December 5, 1931, of its splendid new office building on Highway 61 in the eastern part of Sikeston. An elaborate dedication was held, with C. D. Matthews chairman of th.e State Highway Commission, joining with the divisional engineer, P. H.

Daniels, and other divisional officials in playing hosts to more 'than 2000 guests who inspected the new plant and joined in the festivities, which included a dance in the new- garage building and other entertainment. The building is of brick construction, two stones in height and with a ground area of 42 by 52 feet. It has adequate space for the offices of the Division engineer and his assistants and vaults for the storage of the Highway Department papers and: files. Adjacent to the new building is a garage building, one- story in height for the use of the division. There has since been added to the plant three other buildings, used for general maintenance and storage purposes and adding to the efficiency of the establishment.

The divisional office b'uilding- also serves as headquarters for the Sikeston office of the State Highway Patrol, which formerly had its troop headquarters here but now maintains only three local troopers in the Sikeston area. The office of the State Highway Department safety engineer, Harry Dudley, who is on Army leave of absence, is also located in the building, as are the offices of the district weight officers. tern. 1,461 miles of State highways were hard-surfaced. The general assembly passed a bill reducing license fees on pas- cars.

Local Interests: 311.7 miles of Farm-to-Market roads ocnstructed or placed under contract at a cost of $894,218. 120.8 miles completed or placed under contract on major system at a cost of $997,555.00. Grade separation over the Missouri Pacific railroad and bridge across Black River, near Hillard, completed on Route 67 in Butler county. Grade separation over Frisco Railroad at Oran completed on Route 55, Scott county. 1934.

State Wide: State-wide traffic survey made to assist the Department with traffic problems. 16,260.6 miles of State highways built in State to date. Hayden-Cartwright Act passed by Congress with appropriations ear-marked for building "feeler" roads in States, under supervision of the Bureau of Public roads. $6,173,710.00 was allocated to Missouri under this act. Status of road ocnstruction on the various State highway systems were as follows: Primary System per cent.

IV MAP OF U.S. HIGHWAYS PASSING THROUGH MISSOURI SHOWING ROUTE NUMBERS AND PRINCIPAL CITIES MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION.