STATE ALLOCATES $10,000,000 

 FARM-TO-HIGHWAY ROADS 



RULES and regulations for the construction of 

 farm-to-highway roads under the bill appropriat- 

 ing $15,000,000 from state funds for such roads 

 have been announced by the Division of Highways 

 of the State Department of Public Works and Build- 

 ings. 



The Division has also allocated $10,000,000 from 

 this appropriation to the counties and the townships 

 and road districts. Under the law, no more than 

 $10,000,000 can be made available in any year. 



The Illinois Agricultural Association sponsored 

 the legislation providing these funds in the General 

 Assembly at the last regular session and is much in- 

 terested in the administration of this law. 



Under this law and appropriation, the state for 

 the first time recognizes some obligation for the im- 

 provement of these local township and road district 

 roads. 



Of approximately 105,000 miles of road in the 

 state, more than 75,000 miles are township and road 

 district roads. 



The law provides that after deducting certain 

 amounts for administrative and engineering expense, 

 the funds shall be allocated among the several coun- 

 ties and the townships and road districts in propor- 

 tion to their mileage of these township and road dis- 

 trict roads. The amount allocated to each of the 

 counties is shown in the table at the end of this 

 article. 



Under the law the roads to be improved from these 

 funds are to be selected by the county superintendent 

 of highways in cooperation with the township and 

 road district commissioners. They are also to pre- 

 pare the plans for the improvement of the roads so 

 selected. The State Department of Public Works and 

 Buildings, through the Division of Highways, ap- 

 proves the plans and has general supervision of the 

 work and disburses the funds to the counties. 



The Association, and the members of the legisla- 

 ture who introduced and supp>orted this legislation, 

 were concerned that the standards of design for these 

 roads be held to the minimum in order that the maxi- 

 mum mileage of improved roads might be obtained 

 from the funds available. 



The rules and regulations as announced recognize 

 that the same standards of design are not required 

 for these roads as are necessary for roads carrying 

 a heavier volume of traffic. 



For roads carrying more than 100 vehicles per day, 

 the rules and regulations require that the Depart- 

 ment's design policies for Federal-aid secondary roads 

 be used. 



For roads carrying less than 100 vehicles per day, 

 the rules and regulations require a minimum right- 

 of-way of 40 feet, with more where needed for con- 

 struction purposes and a minimum road bed of 20 

 feet (shoulder to shoulder). 



They require only a minimum of grading and re- 

 alignment or relocation and as to surfacing, provide 

 — "For all types of gravel or stone surfaces, the re- 

 quirement will be; not less than 4 inches thick 

 (loose measure) and not less than 10 feet wide, or 

 the equivalent volume. For oiled earth surfaces, the 

 oil shall be applied not less than 12 feet wide and 

 not less than .5 gallon per square yard for new graded 

 roads or not less than .25 gallon per square yard for 

 re-oiling. Once a road is oiled using these funds, the 

 township will be expected to re-oil at such intervals 

 as is necessary to keep the road in satisfactory con- 

 dition and to protect the original investment". 



Under the legislation and the rules and regulations 

 for its administration the local commissioners of 

 highways, together with the county superintendent 

 of highways, have a great deal of discretion both 

 as to the selection of the roads to be improved and 

 as to the type of improvement to be made. 



Farmers and others interested in road improvement 

 should cooperate and work with these local officials 

 in order that the maximum benefit may be derived 

 from the use of these state funds. The funds avail- 

 able are not sufficient of course to surface many miles 

 of road in any one township. 



However, in the state as a whole the mileage will 

 be substantial. Meanwhile the special commission 

 to plan a future program for the improvement of 

 our roads and particularly these local roads will, it is 

 hoped, develop some plan for continued state contri- 

 butions toward the cost of surfacing these local roads. 



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L A. A. RECORD 



