Show Immeasurable Good to This Area Officials of Moab and Grand County's civic an and governmental government of their efforts In convincing the al groups can well be proud Utah State Road Commission that they should tag their endorsement endorsement endorsement en en- onto the plan to make US highway 6 50 the official Salt Lake-Denver Lake interstate highway Pressures from northern Utah groups to make Highway 30 through southern Wyoming on Highway 40 through the Uintah Basin were great and even though the advantages of the southern south south- ern route through Grand county far tar outnumbered those of any alternate alternate alternate altern altern- ate route it was expected by many that the loud crys of the more populated areas of Utah would overshadow the obvious advantages of the Southern route Salt Lake City officials made some pretty familiar statements In regards to the decision of the State group One by Salt Lake County Commission Chairman Lamont B. B Gunderson sounded very much like statements that have hampered development In Southern Utah for years yeats He said The Road Commission will funnel most of the tourists to California without them ever seeing Salt Lake City by choosing U. U S. S 6 50 as their Interstate highway system link between Denver and Salt Lake A very surprising fact that has been realized by a few for many years and is being realized by more and more all the time tune evidently the State Road Commission is that there is just a little more to this State of Utah than Salt Lake City Granted Salt Lake City is a wonderful won won- place and has more than its share of scenic and historical at at- tractions Tourists the the world over are familiar with the familiar Salt Lake Lake landmarks Publicity campaigns to end all publicity campaigns have have praised the wonders of the valley But But for years the Northern Utah area has been developed at the ex expense nse of the less populated southern Utah areas Now when a highway link is proposed as a part of a vast Intercontinental intercontinental intercontinental inter Inter- continental highway system pressures from our friends up north could have ended all ideas of of putting the Salt Denver Lake link through the only route that offers so many more advantages over the theother theother theother other two Highway 6 50 is first the most scenic route through the two states The trip over the at their most beautiful spot the ride down the Colorado river canyon Into Grand Junction and on over the Grand and Em Emery ry county country with easy access to the Arches Moab point Monument valley the Natural Bridges the Goosenecks of San Juan Mesa Verde and many other areas makes it the most obvious route as far tar as tourists are concerned The fact that almost all of the Utah road Is easily maintained maintain maintain- ed cd in winter and the Colorado route kept open all year makes it the best as far as an weather all-weather route is concerned The State Road commissions commission's decision was unanimous That Tha would Indicate to us that they were well briefed by their experts on the advantages of the 6 50 route State engineers stated that both routes through Utah would entail difficult construction work Utah and Colorado must reach a decision on the proposed route before September 15 An agreement must be reached by the two states and data submitted to th Bureau of public roads by the middle of September on the two routes with recommendations as to which they consider the best Both highway departments are in agreement with 50 The Federal Bureau will make the final decision but it is expected they will follow the States' States Let us hope that the decision can be reached at an early time tune and that southern Utah and Colorado backers will continue to fight for their road even though the decision has been made Trying to winan win winan winan an argument with heavily populated Northern and Central Utah Is quite a task and we can all agree that the fight Is not over until we actually see the equipment building the route that will mean so much to us In so many different ways |