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Show BRIDGE AT LEE'S FERRY APPROVED; AP-PROVED; WILL COST $230,000. Approval- of the Arizona senate bill, appropriating $130,000 to defray de-fray part of the expense of a $230., 0 00 bridge across the Colorado river, at, or near Lees Ferry, for which the government has already appropriated appropriat-ed $100,000, assures one of the most important connecting key links between be-tween the states of Arizona and Utah, according to Henry H. Blood, commissioner com-missioner of the state road department, depart-ment, who reviewed the project. Sun7 day. The proposed bridge would span a box canyon of the Colorado 450 feet above the stream and would be either of steel arch or suspension construction. construc-tion. Commissioner Blood said that probable connecting .points, which will be factors in the highway, will be Flagstaff, Tuba, Lees Ferry and Fre-donia Fre-donia in Arizona, with Kanab, Zion National park, Bryce canyon, and on north to Salt Lake by the Grand Central "highway, otherwise known as the National Parks, highway. A second sec-ond route was pointed- out from Fre-donia Fre-donia to Hurricane to the Arrowhead route, and on north to Salt Lake. The. new highway will give, as near' as possible, a direct route from the Mexican boarder to Canada, and will be a factor in eliminating many miles of roundabout travel. Connecting of the scenic points of interest, those of Arizona in the Grand Canyon National park, with the Utah wonderlands at Zion National Na-tional park, Bryce canyon and Cedar Breaks, will be an added factor of this important highway. The road will also connect Utah colonies in Arizona with a more direct dir-ect route to the larger cities of our state, Commissioner Blood said. Many Mormon families are living in the colonies of the Gila valley, or the Mesa-Maricopa district of Arizona. Road improvements, which have already been carried out on the proposed pro-posed highway, include construction of surfaced highway from the Utah state line to Kanab, where this road connects with the Kanab to Grand canyon of Arizona highway, a link of the National Parks highway. Commissioner Blood said that the majority of this road is now all-year round highway, construction of which lias been made possible by forest service ser-vice aid. The state of Arizona has added funds to complete the road to the state line, and Utah, with the aid of federal and forest service funds has already completed passable roads linking with the northern points. It is thought that the near future will find this artery an all-year round highway of great importance in the national highway system, Mr. Blood concluded. |
