Show Proposed A Route i I By E. E C. C Knowlton Assistant En En- The Uintah basin ts s an empire in itself It c comprises a region miles long 70 miles wide wide containing containing contain contain- ing lug acres of which are good tillable irrigable land It has vast mineral deposits mainly of the hydrocarbon family oil family oil oil- bea bearing ing shah s. s asphaltum and gilsonite gilsonite gil- gil wholly undeveloped but so extensive that the present data available avail e avail able estimates their value at anywhere anywhere any any- where from five to ten billions If dol dol- lars From the point of view of or transportation transportation trans trans- nature has been most unkind unkind un un- kind lind to this great section of our state It is sh shut t In by great great mountain ranges rangos on all sides the continuity of which is only by the in ingress ingress ingress in- in gress and egress of the Green river on on the nor north h and south respectively whose precipitous prec canyon w walls offer no footing for a railroad or high high- way ray On the east is the great Continental Cont Continental Con Con- t divide ri ruing rising ing to an elevation of ot feet an and the he west Is the Wasatch range the low lowest eat crossing Of which has an elevation of ot about feet and to ItO tIle the southwest is the Book Cliff CUff range ange where the lowest road summit 5 s a at an elevation elevation eleva eleva- tion of more than feet These natural harriers barriers have stood thus faras Caras far Car faras as the obstacles preventing the building of railroads into this section section sec sec- tion and to date even though numerous nu nu- numerous railroad surveys surveys have been heen run prospects are not especially bright at least for Immediate railroad railroad railroad rail rail- road transportation In the light of this condition the selection and md improvement im im- improvement m- m provement of highway highway- routes located located located ed so o aa as to furnish the best beat lI possible highway transportation to this young youn and struggling section sector of our state state Is s the biggest em before the state roa road officials According to the Indian hi p ics in Ninemile canyon at least as interpreted by our out good goo citizen Carl Marcusson of Price the Price- Price Myton route was wa solemnly le dedicated kat- kat ed by the aborigines as the logical outlet of the basin At any rate this road is the old standby and has been used as the basin gateway since the advent of the white man and his settlement of the Ashley valley and the Uintah basin country During the time that the the western portion of the basin basing was wa an Indian reservation with practically no no settlement west of Dayton Myton this section was served well by this road so su far tar as its location location location loca loca- tion as a feeder to the railroad was concerned Its summit being lower than any other it is the road most practicable to keep open for travel during the w winter season With the development ment of the Duchesne Duchesne Duchesne Du Du- Du- Du chesne section of the country an rya Y anarea an anarea area of nearly one-half one of the total tillable acreage of the basin la lay west of Myton lyton and this caused another route t to be opened which ta taps 8 the he I more westerly settlements at Duchesne Duchesne Du Du- Du chesne the western wester and logical out out- let This was the road to the railroad railroad railroad rail rail- road and Colton Colton- via Indian canyon Willow creek and Emma park Subsequently Sub Sub- the lower section of the Willow creek canyon was opened and Castl Castlegate gate Helper and Price became the railroad points for this route Notwithstanding the tho advantage advantage advantage advant advant- age the Duchesne Castlegate has h however wever Of entering the basin at atthe atthe the proper place and reducing the distance to th tho railroad its high higl summit of feet elevation with accompanying ex excessive heavy snow snow presents a very serious obstacle and nearly every Y winter the old standby the Price Price-Myton route has be ll I called d upon to o furnish the tho winter outlet The Uintah basin is traversed I b by bya a transcontinental highway and any ani discussion of the tile tho highways of this this' include the r region glon must necessarily needs of ot Interstate te travel By referring referring re re referring ferring to the tile map It will be seen that the shortest possible route from from Duchesne to Salt Lal Lake e City isby Isby is isby by way WilY of Kamas and Park City However r. r due ue to the excessively excessively ex ex- high summit of this route and the fact that the section between between between be be- tween tween Duchesne anc aria a distance of ot 35 mi miles es Is unimproved and almost impassable for automobiles automobiles automo automo- biles this tills route has had up to dateno date dateno dateno traffic It is no value f for r doubtful if this road will ever play any part in serving me tIle needs of the basin save as a pleasure road during the summer months mouths and for purely local traffic The next most favored highway from the standpoint or directness to Salt Lake Lak City is that from Duchesne to Heber by way of Fruitland At Atthe Atthe Atthe the present time this is the most popular summer route from the basin basin basin ba ba- ba- ba sin to Salt Lane City However it has disadvantages n its long distance distance distance dis dis- dis- dis tance to the railroad and also due to the high elevation of the Strawberry Strawberry Straw Straw- berry valley vaney about 16 miles long and nd feet above sea level This Th's road has has to date never been considered considered con con- possible for travel during the winter Another route used between Duchesne Duchesne Du Du- Du- Du chesne cheshe and Salt Lake City Is that of the tho Duchesne Castlegate-Duchesne road from Duchesne to the Bamberger monument and then by way of Emma Emma Emma Em Em- ma Soldier Park-Soldier Summit and Spring Spring- yule vUle to Salt Lake City This includes in includes includes in- in the second route to be constructed constructed con con- out of ot the basin previously previous prevIous- ly mentioned With the law of November 9 9 1921 the seven per cent federal system of hl highways Wa was van I located cheated This his taw jaw aw provides that soven seven per cent of the entire road mileage of at each state may lay become a a. a part of the federal feder l highway system with federal aid to tobe tobe tobe be extended only to to this system Each state through its state highway highway highway high high- way department designates the roads It desires to have included in inthe inthe inthe the seven per cent system and submits submits submits sub sub- mits its selections to the secretary of f agriculture who vh may may approve them wholly or in part In accordance with the law the state road commission some time ago submitted as a part of the above system a route from K KIt ranch near the Colorado line Une to Heber and by byway byway byway way of Duchesne Du and Fruitland The secretary of agriculture In due course approved approve the selection from the K Kit ranch Ito to o Duchesne but did not approve that section between Duchesne and Heber In the meantime the state road commission saw fit to make an investigation investigation investigation of this entire problem to see which route from the basin would be most satisfactory During last winter a snow Investigation was made of the entire region between Fruitland and the Bamberger monument menu menu- ment and since that time tim e the problem problem lem tem In general has been given serious consideration In all its phases With the facts at their disposal the commission commission commission com com- mission recently selected a new route from Duchesne to Soldier Summit by way of Strawberry river and creek to Soldier Summit and has requested federal approval of of Dc this route as a part of the seven per ver cent system The law required t that at the secretary of agriculture must submit the complete highway system in all the states to the comIng coming coming com com- ing session of or congress so that it Is presumed that the above route se selected selected se- se looted and submitted by the commission commission com com- mission will be a acted ted by Y before before be e be- be fore th that t time ll d As mentioned above the secretary of agriculture re has not approved the Heber Fruitland route as part of the tEe federal highway system As a forest road forest highway funds have been expended upon it and at the present time it is an improved improved improved im im- im- im proved road from Crom Heber as far as Fruitland leaving 27 miles to Duchesne Duchesne Duchesne Du Du- Du- Du chesne which is a passable road but badly in need of Improvement This 27 miles miles' is known locally as the Dead Ox Flat section I To build a road here ere of the standard standard standard stand stand- ard demanded for a federal aid highway high high- highway way many engineering problems would have to be solved It would have to be relocated entirely to g get t treasonable reasonable alignment and grade using however the g general meral route of the present road A serious obstacle here is found in inthe the fact that it is doubtful it if surfacing gravel c could be found Cound within reasonable distance If the rouse rou e is selected it is certain that this Dead Ox section will be abandoned ana the portion of th the route from Du Duchesne Du Du- 1 chesne cheese to the mouth of ot Red creek a distance of 20 miles up Strawberry river will become a part of the Heber road and the connection connection con con- con con- i n to Fruitland will will ue Lie by way of or Red Creek canyon It Is very I likely that this Red creek connection w would uld also be lac ja 4 on the forest I highway system an and and- thus even though the Heber road ia is is' is not hot on the seven per cent system it will be be entirely improved as as' a forest road This change on the tho Heber Heber-Duchesne road will add acid perhaps per per- perhaps por-I por haps four miles distance but th advantaged advantages advantages ad ad- vantages gained in the w way y of water- water grade more favorable snow conditions condi condi- conditions and of surfacing material will more than offset this increased distance II In my opinion this route was not approved by the s 's secretary of agriculture agriculture agri agri- culture for the following reasons first that Heber Is s not the logical railroad point for me the basin and second that it has not been shown I that it is possible to keep this road road open for tor winter travel Upon these grounds rounds I believe there Is no possibility possibility possibility for tor the Heber-Duchesne Heber road to be the main h highway out of oC tho two Uintah basin However it has the I great advantage in being the short distance route to Salt Sait Lake City and when improved will always be a popular summer route It If properly maintained In weighing the advantages advantages advantages ad ad- vantages of the different routes as contenders for the main highway to tho the basin I shall not include tho the He He- Duchesne ber-Duchesne road but will dismiss To be concluded next week zd Zi iI L ry l |