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Show Utah Foundation Report Reveals Favorable Progress for Road Improvement Program Utah has come a long way in meeting the highway improvement im-provement problem in the state, according to a report released re-leased this week by Utah Foundation, the private, non- profit, tax research organization. However, despite the progress that has been made, the Foundation warns of growing problems that lie ahead. Traffic volume, as measured by gasoline sales in the state, have increased nearly four times since 1935. As a result of these increased volumes, many of Utah's roads are reach ing a limit of their practical carrying capacity. The Foundation study concludes con-cludes that "should the present traffic volume trends continue, Utah mav be f;irfH uith thA problem of increasing the carrying carry-ing capacity of the highway system. sys-tem. Such an expansion undoubtedly un-doubtedly would involve high cost factors for right-of-way and specialized traffic engineering projects." Recent Progress Utah Foundation points out that the state has undertaken a greatly accelerated highway construction con-struction program during the past few years. Since 1950, Utah has spent nearly S48 million (or an average of $12 million per year) on new highway construction. construc-tion. Construction expenditures have been even greater during the past two years when nearly $30 million (average of $15 million mil-lion per year) was spent. Utah spent more for road construction during the last two years (fiscal 1953 and 1954) than was spent during the four years immediately immediate-ly preceding the 1953 fiscal year. A study made by the State Road Commission in 1950 determined deter-mined that the estimated highway high-way needs in Utah were $210.7 million. A follow-up study made by the Road Commission two years later, in 1952, placed $71.1 million, or one-third of the total to-tal in an "urgent" category. Several favorable factors have contributed to the expanded highway construction program, according to the report. First, nearly $3 million in additional revenue for state road purposes was provided by motor tax adjustments ad-justments made by the 1951 legislature. leg-islature. Another Factor A second contributing factor mentioned in the report is greatly great-ly increased Federal aid allocations alloca-tions for highway construction purposes. Allocations established for the 1957 and 1957 fiscal years are in excess of $8.4 million per year, an increase of more than $100'? since 1950. The Foundation reports that highway-user revenue has ris en substantially as a result oi a 25r; increase in motor vehicle travel. The Foundation warns, however, that this fact may be a mixed blessing to the road system, sys-tem, since increased highway use will lead to needs for addi- tional highway improvements. Highway construction costs have been declining noticeably during the last year and a half, the report continues. The U. S. Bureau of Public Roads Highway Construction Cost Index during the third quarter of 1954 was 10 ( per cent below the high of early 1953. A check by the Foundation of the larger Utah highway con-struction con-struction contracts awarded in 1954 revealed that on the average , the low bids were 15 below the advance engineering estimates. However, in spite of these recent declines, construction costs are still about 10 above mid-1950 levels. |