The Deschutes River Bridge.
Various attempts have been made by Sherman, Wasco County and the State to raise funds for the construction of the Deschutes River Bridge on the Columbia River Highway. Success crowned these efforts recently when a final agreement was reached between the three.
The total estimated cost of this bridge is between $70,000.00 and $75,000.00. The State Department plans call for a reinforced concrete structure about 600 feet in length.
Sherman County has pledged $25,000 towards defraying the cost of the bridge providing funds are raised for completing same. This condition has been met by the State Highway Commission and negotiations are already underway for securing right-of-way. In this connection it is pertinent to state that Wasco County also has appropriated $25,000.00 for co-operation in this work. The State"s share of the cost will be approximately $25,000.00, according to the present estimate.
Columbia River Highway Survey
During 1918 the State Department made a location survey of the Columbia River Highway between the Deschutes and John Day Rivers. The line follows the river canyon through Sherman, Biggs and Rufus. The length of this survey is 14.66 miles. The field work only has been completed on this survey and construction plans will be made up soon. C. S. n.o.ble was the locating engineer for the Department.
John Day Bridge
This inter-county bridge will be located on the Columbia River Highway across the John Day River, below McDonald, and will obviate the necessity for the toll ferry at McDonald.
As designed, the crossing calls for 2-123 foot wooden deck spans on concrete piers and about 120 feet of high cla.s.s wooden approach and 100 feet of fill. The cost, which is estimated to be $20,000.00, will be borne by Sherman and Gilliam Counties, and the State, and it is probable that construction work will start next spring.
TILLAMOOK COUNTY
Paving--Tillamook South
A contract was awarded on August 7, 1917, to Oskar Huber of Portland for the grading and paving of a five mile section extending south from the end of the paving then in place about three miles south of Tillamook City.
The old road which this paving was to follow in a general way contained many sharp curves and had a roadbed not eighteen feet wide on the average. On this was a light surfacing of gravel and rock macadam about twelve feet in width. The roadbed was widened to a twenty-four foot width, all excessively sharp curves were eliminated, and all wooden culverts, trestles, and bridges were replaced with modern concrete structures, and the decking on two steel bridges renewed and paved.
As there is available in this vicinity no ledge rock, it was found necessary to haul and crush large boulders from the creek bed to provide the necessary rock for the base and mixture. Some sand was obtained locally, but most of it had to be shipped in from Portland and hauled to the work from Tillamook.
The job was completed by December 15th of this year, and on account of the unusually bad conditions faced by the contractor as regards labor and materials, Mr. Huber is to be commended for the prompt completion of the work as well as for the excellence of construction.
By an arrangement between the County and the Highway Commission the County pays for all grading in connection with this improvement and also for twenty-five per cent of the cost of the paving. The total cost of the grading and paving complete is $109,250.00 of which the County will pay $34,325.00 and the State $74,925.00.
Mr. C. W. Wanzer was in charge of this work as resident engineer.
DETAILED STATEMENT OF EXPENDITURES TO NOVEMBER 30, 1918--GRADING AND PAVING--TILLAMOOK SECTION
Engineering $6,391.47 Contract Construction Work as follows-- Common Excavation, 10,835.3 Cu. Yds. at 60c $6,501.18 Intermediate Excavation, 1,959.5 Cu. Yds. at 90c 1,763.55 Overhaul, per 100 Lin. ft., 6,314.8 Cu. Yds.
at 2c 126.30 12-inch Reinf. Conc. Pipe (Placing only) 84 Lin. ft. at 48c 40.32 18-inch Reinf. Conc. Pipe (Placing only) 607 Lin. ft. at 78c 473.46 24-inch Reinf. Conc. Pipe (Placing only) 384 Lin. ft. at $1.16 445.44 36-inch Reinf. Conc. Pipe (Placing only) 64 Lin. ft. at $1.80 115.20 Clearing and Grubbing (Force Account) 543.75 Moving Fences (Force Account) 4.00 Standard Bitulithic Pavement, 47,555.5 Sq. Yds.
at $1.42 67,528.81 Broken Stone Loose measure, 8,840 Cu. Yds. at $2.20 19,448.00 Crushed Stone Shoulders, 7,466 Lin. ft. at 6c 447.96 ---------- Total Amount Earned by Contractors to Nov. 30, 1918 97,437.97 Less 15% retained pending completion 14,615.69 ---------- Total Payments to Contractor to November 30, 1918 82,822.28 ---------- Total Expenditure to November 30, 1918 89,213.75
Paid by State 63,203.90 Paid by County 26,009.85 ---------- Total $89,213.75
Three Rivers Forest Project
A Federal Aid Forest Road Project is now under construction between Hebo and Dolph in Tillamook County. This project is 10.3 miles in length, includes grading and nine foot rock surfacing, and is estimated to cost $122,000.00 of which $21,500.00 will be paid by the County, $50,250.00 by the State, and $50,250.00 by the Federal Government.
This work is handled under the supervision of Federal Office of Public Roads. The contract was awarded to the Tillamook County Court, but the State"s Attorney General ruled that the Court had no authority which would allow them to contract to do work of this nature. To facilitate matters the Highway Commission took the contract over from the County, and the work is now in progress, the Highway Department acting as contractors and being paid for the work at the unit prices originally bid by Tillamook County.
It was so late in the year when this work was taken over by the State that little work can be done until the 1919 season. Work is in progress, however, on camp construction, clearing, and such other portions of the work as can be done during the winter months.
Mr. J. M. Baker is superintendent of construction on this work.
Tillamook-Cloverdale Survey
On the Tillamook-Cloverdale road a preliminary survey has been completed from Tillamook to Hebo, a distance of 18 miles, and of this about nine miles have been located. This is a very important section as it is the most direct route from the Willamette Valley to the beaches of Tillamook County, and is not served with a railroad. The engineer in charge of this work was Mr. C. A. Dunn.
UMATILLA COUNTY
The highway problem of Umatilla County is of greater magnitude than it would seem to be at first consideration. The fact that the County is well supplied with rail transportation only renders the demand for highways more urgent. Soil conditions are generally unfavorable for good natural roads although gravel deposits suitable for highway construction are found in most localities.
The County has made constant efforts towards an improved system of roads, but with 3,000 miles of county roads to care for and with considerable bridge work in the program, the available funds are found to be entirely inadequate. The main roads or trunk highways through the County have had the benefit of a large percentage of local funds but owing to a large mileage and character of improvement necessary, there remains a great deal yet to be done.
When the State of Oregon voted to expend $6,000,000.00 in surfacing roads constructed by the counties, Umatilla County was among the first to take advantage of the State aid. The State Highway Commission extended additional aid through the Post Road Fund, but these plans were later cancelled owing to requirements of the U. S. Office of Public Roads.
The State Highway Department has surveyed the Old Oregon Trail for the entire distance across the County and 42.2 miles of the Oregon-Washington Highway have been surveyed. In addition a considerable mileage of reconnaissance surveys have been made preliminary to definite location.
In 1917 and 1918 the State Highway Department expended $162,625.56 in constructing eleven miles of pavement near Pendleton. The cost of maintenance on this road has been divided equally between the State and County.
Funds were set aside by the State Highway Commission in 1917 to macadamize the 40 mile section of Old Oregon Trail from Pendleton west to the Morrow County line. War conditions caused a postponement of this improvement. The funds are still intact and work will proceed as soon as conditions will permit. Following are statements showing amounts of State funds expended in Umatilla County and funds appropriated to be expended in 1919.
Expended in 1917 and 1918 for paving on Wild Horse Road and Pendleton-Reith Section $162,626.56 Appropriated to be expended in 1919 on macadamizing Old Oregon Trail from Pendleton to Morrow County line near Umatilla 180,000.00
Wild Horse Paving
The State Highway Commission on June 29, 1917, let a contract to the Warren Construction Company for paving a ten mile section of the Wild Horse Road northeast of Pendleton and one mile of the Old Oregon Trail leading west from Pendleton. The pavement laid was bitulithic and the subgrade was an old macadam road built by the County. The macadam road was of insufficient width for supporting a 16 foot pavement, which condition required widening of the grade, re-ditching and the placing of extra crushed rock for base.
The widening of the road bed was done with County funds expended under the direction of the State Highway Department. The work of widening the grade cost the County, $9,975.00 for the 11 miles.
[Ill.u.s.tration: ON THE PAVED ROAD BETWEEN PENDLETON AND ADAMS IN UMATILLA COUNTY. PAVED IN 1917]
Paving work begun in July, 1917, and an excellent pavement of the standard two-inch bitulithic type was secured, with a six inch crushed rock base. The total cost of this work was $162,626.56 or $14,784.22 per mile. M. O. Bennett was the engineer in charge and Chas. n.o.ble was the inspector on this work. Following is a detailed cost statement:
DETAILED COST STATEMENT--WILD HORSE PAVING
Standard Bitulithic Pavement, 103,543.79 sq. yds. at $1.29 $133,571.49 Broken Stone loose measure. 10,994.8 cu. yds. at $1.87 20,560.28 Crushed stone. 115,600 lin. ft. at 5c 5,780.00 Extra work on road approaches 104.91 ------------ $160,016.68 Engineering and Inspection 2,609.88 ------------ Total $162,626.56
Wild Horse Grading
When plans were made in 1917 for the Wild Horse paving. 16 feet was the width decided upon. Upon investigation it was found this would require widening of the old road bed from one foot to five feet, re-ditching for a large part of the 10 miles and the replacing of several culverts.