More Funds For Better Roads 



STATE MAKES ANOTHER $15,000,000 

 AVAILABLE FOR ROAD IMPROVEMENT 



RULES and regulations for the 

 construction of farm-to-high- 

 way roads under Senate Bill No. 

 378 appropriating another $15,- 

 000,000 from state funds have 

 been announced by the division 

 of highways of the state department of 

 public works and buildings. 



The division has allocated $7,500,000 

 from this appropriation to the counties 

 to be spent on township and road dis- 

 trict roads. Under the law, another 

 $7,500,000 will be made available next 

 year. 



LAW SPONSORED BY lAA 



The first bill authorizing a $15,000,- 

 000 state grant from general funds for 

 farm-to-highway roads was passed by 

 the legislature in July, 1945. This ap- 

 propriation, added to the $15,000,000 

 authorized under the amendment, Sen- 

 ate Bill No. 378, will bring the total 

 state grant to $30,000,000. Under this 

 law and appropriations, the state for 

 the first time recognizes some obliga- 

 tion for the improvement of township 

 and road district roads. 



The Illinois Agricultural Association 

 sponsored the legislation providing 

 these funds in the general assembly at 

 the last two regular sessions and is 



much interested in the administration 

 of this law. 



The law provides that after specified 

 administrative expenses are taken out, 

 the rest will be divided among the 

 townships and road districts in propor- 

 tion to their district mileage. 



The rules and regulations for ad- 

 ministering this second appropriation 

 are somewhat the same as for the first. 

 The local road commissioner in co- 

 operation with the county highway en- 

 gineer will select the miles of road to 

 be improved and determine the type of 

 improvement. In the selection of such 

 roads preference may be given to public 

 school bus routes and rural free deliv- 

 ery mail routes. The state division of 

 highways approves all plans and has 

 general supervision of the work and 

 disburses the funds to the counties. 



USE OF FUNDS FOR DRAINAGE 



The road district will furnish the 

 right-of-way and pay for getting it into 

 condition for resurfacing. However, 

 as much as one-fourth of the district's 

 allocation may be used for drainage 

 purposes. A right-of-way of 40 feet 

 and a roadway of 20 feet are specified, 

 if in the judgement of the road com- 

 missioner, such widths will take care of 



traflFic needs and are sufficient to pro- 

 vide for three to one back slopes. It 

 was the aim of those sponsoring this 

 law to make the resurfacing program as 

 simple as possible and to hold require- 

 ments as to plans and other paper work 

 to a minimum, so that the greatest 

 mileage of all-weather surfaces can be 

 built. 



When this farm-to-highway road 

 program started two years ago, many 

 townships were slow in getting under- 

 way due to shortages of labor, materi- 

 als, machinery, and difficulty in getting 

 plans made and approved. Neverthe- 

 less, all counties dia participate. 



DISSATISFACTION EXPRESSED 



Over 11,000 miles of farm roads 

 were resurfaced with the first $15,000,- 

 000 allotments incuding 3,000 miles of 

 oiled roads, 7,800 miles of gravel roads, 

 700 miles of bituminous surfacing 

 (black top) and 21^ miles of concrete 

 road constructed. Townships and road 

 districts may proceed with their resur- 

 facing as soon as their plans are ap- 

 proved and ready. They need not wait 

 until plans for other townships in the 

 same county are approved. 



People in several townships have 

 complained that gravel used on their 

 roads was too fine, of poor quality, and 

 often contained a large amount of sand. 

 Many have not liked the selection of 

 roads to be improved. Others thought 

 the particular road to their farm would 

 be improved within the first year. 



r 



4v 



► 



L A. A. RECORD 



DEC 



