Show State Highway Groups Agree 6 50 is the Best The Utah State Road commission commis commis- sion slon decided unanimously last Thursday that U U. S. S Highway 6 50 was the best possible of all routes mutes between Salt Lake Lak City and Denver for that link of the planned Intercontinental highway high high- way The decision followed a sim sim- similar ilar agreement by the Colorado State Road commission some days day before The two commissions now must submit a Joint recommendation tion to the federal Bureau of public pub pub- lic lie roads by September 15 along with supporting data before a final fin final al decision can be reached by that body The decision followed several days of bitter debate between civic ic Ie and governmental groups of several areas of Utah who were all interested in seeing the new route chosen through their areas and since the decision was announced an I flounced have urged the State body to revise revisit their decision and recommend another route County commissions through throughout out Utah had pledged their support sup port to different routes the backer backers back back- er ers of the southern 6 50 being Utah county and the southern counties through which 6 50 pas ses Grand Orand county commissioners urged along with the Grand Orand County Chamber of Commerce ur urged d the State Road commission to favor the southern route supplying supplying sup sup- plying the commission with arguments arguments arguments ments as to why they thought the southern route was the best The State group stated that their decision followed a careful study of the routes in question I and that they favored the southern south south- ern em route because of a multitude of reasons w which l were not in evidence along the others Winter Winter Win Win- ter maintenance a big item between between be be- tween Salt Lake City and Denver was one of the main reasons the 6 50 route was agreed upon Al pl Also I Iso so the Southern road was better suited to the requirements of the federal system since it offered more junctures with other main highways After Saturdays Saturday's republican state convention in Salt Lake City the Salt Lake County GOP candidates met in the Newhouse lse hotel and adopted a platform pla plank k urging the State to revise their decision The plank said that for the benefit of the major majority Sty ity ty of the people in Utah trey urged the commission to sider alder Highway 40 as the best possible pos sible route Main argument for Highway 40 other than relative populations of the areas aress was the fact that it was 39 miles shorter than Highway 50 G. The highway officials stated staged that they too favor favored d the northern north north- ern em route until they had driven both highways The decision was based solely on the reports of state engineers E. E G. G Johnson chief engineer R R. W. W Griffen as a- a assistant ant chief engineer W. W L. L An An- derson secondary J roads ads engineer Sheridan Flack and John chief construction engineers ant and 0 O. Donald Donold Miles chief designer who pointed out the many advantages advantages the 6 50 route had over 40 The engineers stated that both routes would entail a great lea deal of difficult construction work the the largest construction on 6 50 being being be be- ing in Spanish Fork and Pr Price e canyons On Monday the roads committee commit commit- tee of the Vernal Chamber o of Commerce met and voted to recommend recommend rec tec- rec- rec that the chamber lodge a j protest with the State commis slon sion They stated that Increasing criticism of the road commissions choice improved chances that the commission might change the their d decision r I However as it stands at th the present the state commission will wll willi hold bold old to their decision and follow through wit with the State pf Pt Colorado Colorado Colo Colo- rado by the specified date with the information required by the Bureau pf Pt Public Roads |