Show 4 Z 0 1 7 77 3 t ima I 1 R A courtesy zion studio zion canyon narrows one of a 1000 beauty spots roads in scenic southwest utah by H V RICHARDS statistician state road commission the scenic beauty and geologic interest of the national parks of southern utah are so remarkable that they continue to command a large amouri amount of space in the metropolitan newspapers pa pers throughout the united states pd and in the magazines devoted to tou touris r is travel and the scenic resources of the nation since good roads are arc primarily responsible for the success attained thus far so will the future development of this region depend upon an adequate road building program that everyone connected with road building activities recognizes the importance of this statement is evidenced by the road projects recently completed or under way for the accommodation of the heavy tourist traffic that will inevitably result as thi the fame of utah attractions continues to grow the state in operation cooperation co with the federal bureau of public roads and forest service has improved to a high standard miles of road in the region which includes zion national park cedar breaks and bryce canyon at a total cost to date of and chiefly from allotments of federal funds this is exclusive of the notable work performed by the national parks service in the construction st of highways and trails within the environs of zion national park the mileage and costs of which are not reported to this office extensive surveys have been co completed on the proposed 25 mile zion 1011 park mt carmel connection wa when completed this road will effect a saving of miles over existing routes in travelling tra velling from cedar breaks to zion park and thence to bryce canyon As a scenic loop for tourist travel during the summer months from cedar city over the cedar long valley road to bryce canyon and returning via nia zion park to cedar city there will be a reduction of approximately miles as compared with present routes it will also provide an economic commercial connection for kariam kanab with the railroad at cedar city and an all year route the summit it elevation on the proposed road being feet which is some feet lower than that over the cedar long valley road the importance of this connection link has long been recognized but its great cost on account of the rugged country traversed has delayed its construction pending the improvement of the existing roads in this region and their interstate connections the most expensive ive portion of this roadway will be the eight miles lying within the park boundaries it will surmount the east rim of zion canyon with a maximum grade of 5 per cent the road will be recessed over a portion of its length within the sheer precipices of the canyon wall displaying from its winding galleries views of unexampled magnificence this eight miles of sp spectacular ecta cular highway will cost it is estimated in excess of it will be financed by the national parks service and constructed by the bureau of public roads the remain remaining 17 miles all in kane county will be built by the state with the federal government participating in its f financing nan cing the estimated cost is the state is ready to proceed with its portion of the construction and it is believed that the road will be completed throughout its entice entire length and opened to traffic within two years within washington and iron counties is comprised most of the mileage designated for improvement under the federal aid law in the scenic region the projects completed to date by the state within these two counties with federal aid with mileage and costs are arc as follows iron county cedarlund cedar lund 33 miles gravel Buck buckhorn buchborn born flat 95 miles gravel cedar 12 miles gra gravel vel parowan carowan winn hollow 96 miles gravel cedar city concrete 11 miles plus cites portion to washington county aln line 45 miles gravel estimated to cost is under construction washington C county 0 u n t y andersons ranch ash creek 73 miles gravel with four concrete bridges ash creek to iron county line with ft clear span cor concrete crete alch aich bridge across ash creek andersons ranch toquerville 28 miles gravel with ft concrete bridge rockville zion park 64 miles gravel st gcorge harris burg bench 89 miles gravel with ft tunnel rockville aal dal ton wash 76 miles gravel estinia estimated ted cost is under construe con construction t loll 1011 in ill garfield and kane coun counties ti es forest projects completed bv the bureau of public roads financed by the forest service with local or state cooperation in part park are circleville Cir cleville canyon 45 miles graded bryco canyon 5 miles gravel red canyon 76 miles gravel garfield county line glendale miles part surfaced bryce tropic 2 29 9 miles graded the cedar long valley road via cedar breaks and navajo 0 lake 42 miles also a forest project surfaced in part cost the spur to cedar breaks 41 miles long will bo be built on a relocation at an ail estin estimated cost of the new road to be a marked improvement in grade and alignment miscellaneous state projects in the last two years without federal aid in the four counties have cost both federal aid and forest projects when completed are taken over for maintenance by the state with funds derived from the gasoline tax it is axiomatic that the heavy expenditure pend iture of public funds as above outlined should be efficiently conserved coni colli evidence of the improve improvement n I 1 ent in this direction is apparent from the fact that whereas the average expenditure for gravel road maintenance prior to the enactment of the gasoline t tax ax law was 88 38 per mile each year the average rate is now this includes the additions of new material to the travelled way in re placing the surface losses result resulting iniz from rom the wear and tear of traffic it t also includes much closer attention to 0 o the riding qualities of the road than han was forni formerly erly possible with the very limited funds available the patrol system of maintenance has las been adopted on all main routes supplemented by floating gangs that are equipped to make such repairs as require several men and special equipment the work of the patrolmen is to keep the road surface up to standard ditches and cu lverts open shoulders graded weeds cut etc work performed by the gangs consists in the removal of breakages break ages and slides hauling and placing renewals to gravel surfaces the upkeep of structures requires that repairs be made to guard railing and timber ridges bridges that steel bridges he be repainted bolts tightened channels cleared etc upon the completion of federal aid project no 11 lund to cedar city iron ron county provided for its continuous repair and upkeep by a system of patrols this being before the days of the gasoline tax and furnished the state with its first example of a road maintained by the patrol system it proved so effective that its adoption throughout the state was general in 1924 the state road commission undertook a share of the costs of maintenance of state roads with funds made available by the gasoline tax in 1925 fiffey per cent of such maintenance costs were borne by the state and in 1926 the state relieved the counties of all obligation under this licad head on the state road system it now costs approximately annually to maintain the state roads of utah and these costs are arc rising with the steady increase in traffic ic the use of the roads for travel during the winter months is be coni comming ming increasingly popular and pow snow removal on many of our roads roada is s an important and expensive item in in the annual budget in our thinly populated state 70 per cent of it its L area being still a part of the public domain merely to keep our extensive mileage of splendid roads to standard and to pay the interest and sinking fund charges on road bonds outstanding will continue to be a heavy tax on our resources future improvements prove ments must depend to a large extent upon financial assistance front from the general government federal aid in utah exclusive of fore forest stroad road con will continue to the amount of each year to the close of the f fiscal year 1929 there is no assurance that it will continue beyond that period it is of paramount importance to the development of this state ail and its scenic resources that federal aid operation cooperation co in highway construction remain a fact on oil the statute books until our total of 1684 1634 miles of road in the federal aid tem has been improved to the required standard there is no other section of the country where more inore is to be gained by highway improver tint than in the public land states ind and as a consequence no other section in ill which the per capita expenditure for highways is equalled equal led within a very few years if our present rate of progress can be continued every milo mile of our principal highways will be satisfactorily improved and accommodating as never before the local and in interstate ter state traffic ind and the tourist travel from aI adjoining joining and distant states m 4 a v 4 4 court courty courtesy y zion studio angels pathway Pit liway on highway to cedar breaks |