OCR Text |
Show I AVOID DANGER ON NEW ROADS Government Plans to Eliminate Elim-inate Grade Crossing on Principal Highways W ASHINCTON. Feb 4 The grade . rosslhg must go, and It will bo eliminated elim-inated wherever possible on the road? of tli" federal aid highway Retain, which will be built ns a re.-ult of the passage of the federal highway act When the roads which form the primary pri-mary or interstate system are completed com-pleted "O gr.ido Crossing will bo allowed al-lowed to remain that it ih at all prattles prat-tles blc to avoid. Every effort will be made to make the roads of tho secondary system safe, but in this case It Is recognized that elimination may not be practicable prac-ticable in all oases at this time. In making this announcement the bureau of public roads, under whose .supervision the fund Is allotted and onstuetlon Is undertaken, Is putting Into effect a policy which it has long advocated in principle nnd whose adoption It has urged with increasing j effectiveness upon state highway of ficials for some time past. The polley ls meeting with hearty co-operation on tho part of the states, and the American Association of State Highway High-way officials, by resolution, his I pledged Its best efforts to co-opera t i to eliminate grade crossings on new i construction, i in addition, the policy finds favor :miong tho railroads, some of the leading lead-ing carriers already having lent cheerful cheer-ful aid in avoiding, the construction of more grade crossings. I Instead of grade crossings there j will be constructed wherever possible I In the future either .1 luidg- or an un- I derpass where roadway and railway Intersect. Important roads which now rose and recross railroad lines grade hereafter will be located entirely entire-ly on one side of the railroad, oven though to do so may 'r.crease the com of construction. State officials, realizing real-izing the need of eliminating r.i.: crossings, have slated their desire to co-operate with the department In earning out this plan. AYhero crossings are unavoidable, or where local Interests Justify coi--structlon of highways to cross railroad rail-road lines, th,- mad will be so locate as to pass over the track or und--r it. In most Instances of this sort tho railroads bear one-half of the cost of building the bridge or underpass. The prime object of the depart ment's poliey to eliminate grade i ross-iugs ross-iugs on federal aid roads Is the saying of human lives. This policy probably will involve Increased expense of construction con-struction in the case of .oroe roads, but it is believed this Is justified by tho saving of life. During the three years ending with 1920, according to the best records available to tho, department, de-partment, 3.636 lives were lost at grade erodings in the United States: and 10,6 4 1 persons were injured. |