Report of the State Highway Commission 7
General Resume of the Work of the Biennium 7
Proposals Received on Construction Jobs 9
Bond Sales 10
Financial Statement 11
State Highway Engineer's Report to the Highway Commission 13
Letter of Transmittal 14
Work Accomplished 17
Moneys Available and Expended 17
Paving 18
Macadamizing 18
Grading 19
Bridges 19
Elimination of Grade Crossings 21
Federal Cooperation 22
Post Road Projects 23
Forest Road Projects 23
The Pacific Highway 27
The Columbia River Highway 28
County Work Supervised by the Highway Department 29
Construction Work by State Forces 29
State Highway Funds 30
Equipment 31
Office Organization 32
Cost Keeping 34
Employes in the Army Service 35
Tabulated Statements of Expenditures and Costs 39
Allotments to Various Highway Funds 40
Summary of Fund Allotments and Fund Expenditures 40
Expenditures Segregated by Counties 41
Expenditures Segregated Under the Heads of General
Administrative, Surveys, Construction Engineering,
Construction, Equipment, Etc. 41
Expenditures for Construction Detailed by Jobs 42
Expenditures for Surveys Detailed by Jobs 45
Expenditures for Equipment, Bond Interest and Overhead 47
Summary of County Funds Expended by the Department 48
General Tabulated Information and Highway Maps 51
Miles of Highway Construction by the Department During 1917 and
1918 52
Tabulation of Bridge Design and Construction 54
Miles of Location Surveys Made by the Department during 1917
and 1918 58
Miles of Different Types of Roads in Each County 59
Motor Vehicle Registration by Counties 60
County Bond Issues 60
Tabulation of Contract Prices --
Yearly Expenditure of State Funds in Counties 61
Mileage Table of Main Travelled Roads 62
Map of Main Travelled Roads --
Official Designation of State Highways 63
Employes of the Highway Commission 65
Numbers and Mileages of State Highways 66
Map of State Highway System 67
General Description of Work in Various Counties 69
Baker County 69
Benton County 71
Clackamas County 71
Clatsop County 75
Columbia County 80
Coos County 89
Crook County 89
Curry County 90
Deschutes County 91
Douglas County 92
Gilliam County 100
Grant County 101
Harney County 104
Hood River County 106
Jackson County 112
Jefferson County 117
Josephine County 117
Klamath County 122
Lake County 122
Lane County 122
Lincoln County 123
Linn County 123
Malheur County 124
Marion County 125
Morrow County 129
Multnomah County 131
Polk County 132
Sherman County 132
Tillamook County 133
Umatilla County 135
Union County 138
Wallowa County 141
Wasco County 142
Washington County 143
Wheeler County 146
Yamhill County 150
Third Biennial Report
of the
State Highway Commission
of the
State of Oregon
1917-1918
The law establishing this Commission was approved by Governor Withycombe
on February 19, 1917 and on March 1 the following appointments were
made: S. Benson, Portland, for the three-year period; W. L. Thompson,
Pendleton, two-year period; E. J. Adams, Eugene, one-year period. The
first meeting was held on March 6, 1917, when this Commission was
organized and S. Benson elected Chairman and G. Ed Ross, Secretary.
The former Commission, consisting of James Withycombe, Governor, Ben W.
Olcott, Secretary of State, and Thos. B. Kay, State Treasurer, held
meetings on December 15, 1916 and January 15, 1917 and on the
qualification of the members of the new commission, as provided in
Section 14, Article II, Chapter 237, Laws of 1917, transferred all
records, maps, equipment and property in its possession. The former
Commission, in view of proposed legislation providing for a new highway
code, made no appropriations nor were policies outlined, so that when
the new Commission entered upon its duties, it was not embarrassed by
policies made by its predecessors.
At a meeting on April 10, 1917, Herbert Nunn was appointed State Highway
Engineer. On April 1, 1918, Robert A. Booth, of Eugene, was appointed by
Governor Withycombe to succeed E. J. Adams. On August 6, 1918, Roy A.
Klein was appointed Secretary to succeed G. Ed Ross, resigned.
The Commission has held fifty-one meetings for the transaction of its
business. The State highway system as outlined in the law has been
adopted and the work of the biennium confined to the various units of
this system. Specifications covering hard surface pavement have been
prepared by the State Highway Engineer and adopted by the Commission, as
well as specifications for grading and bridge construction which have
been acceptable to the United States Office of Public Roads and are used
on all Federal Aid Projects in the State.
Surveys have been made on State highway routes to determine the best and
most economical location, at the request of the counties, and also
several important bridges have been designed and constructed under the
supervision of the Department. Engineers have been furnished at State
expense to supervise construction work being done by the counties on
State highways in several instances.
The program for 1917 depending upon the passage of the $6,000,000.00
Bonding Act, the working season remaining after ratification by the
voters was short, but engineering parties were sent out and the first
contract under this act was let on June 30, 1917. All except the smaller
contracts entered into were carried over into the 1918 working season.
No new paving or grading contracts of any magnitude have been awarded
this year due to the rising costs of material and scarcity of labor.
There was early seen the necessity of conserving labor and capital in
the national emergency and for that reason the Commission has been
unable to give aid to many meritorious projects submitted by various
sections of the State. At a meeting held on June 25, the Commission went
on record, as a war measure, to devote its resources to the completion
of the two trunk line highways, the Columbia River Highway and the
Pacific Highway, completing projects under construction, temporary
surfacing to keep trunk highways open or roads to develop resources
which are an aid in the prosecution of the war. Notwithstanding the
mandatory nature of the State law which created the Commission and
provides funds for work under it, the Commission believes this course
was warranted and that its action will be supported.
Due to the uncertainty of materials, supplies, labor conditions, etc.,
contractors have been unable to make satisfactory bids and on several
occasions no satisfactory bids being received, the Commission undertook
to do the work by day labor, in each case effecting a saving under the
low bid.
In a few cases, either no bids being received or the ones received being
considered excessive, work has been let on the cost plus basis with
definite cost limit set, beyond which no percentage would be paid. Three
of these force account jobs have later been taken over by the
Commission, as it was felt that the work could be handled more
economically with its own forces.
To determine the legality of the State and Federal co-operative bonds
for co-operation on post and forest roads, a friendly suit was brought
in the Supreme Court which was decided favorable to the issue.
The interpretation placed on the Federal Aid Road Law by the Secretary
of Agriculture requiring actual carriage of the mails or a reasonable
prospect before approving as eligible for Federal co-operation
eliminated from the classification practically all of the Columbia River
Highway and especially links in the Pacific Highway in Douglas county on
which it was desired to receive Federal aid.
Under the post road law seventeen projects have been agreed upon, and to
date ten have been approved, three disapproved, two pending and two in
preparation. Construction work has been started on two of these
projects. Under the forest road law fourteen projects have been
approved. Construction has been started on four of these projects.
Several will carry over into the 1920 program.
A railroad asphalt paving plant was purchased but not used during the
1918 season, since no bituminous pavements were constructed, under new
contracts, in that period. Three concrete pavers are owned by the
Commission, as well as three road rollers, four rock crushers, and six
auto trucks, besides considerable grading construction equipment. A
large part of this equipment has been in use this season and not only
has saved the cost of rented equipment but has been available at times
when it was impossible to get the same elsewhere.
A total of seventy-one projects have been advertised as follows. It will
be noted that the number of proposals exceeds the number of bidders
which may be explained by the fact that on paving work bidders have made
proposals on more than one type of pavement.
=============================+================+===========+===========
Project | Date | Number of | Number of
| | Proposals | Bidders
-----------------------------+----------------+-----------+-----------
Sheridan Paving | May 29, 1917 | 2 | 2
Sheridan Grading | May 29, 1917 | 8 | 2
Cummings Hill Grading | June 19, 1917 | 1 | 1
Pendleton Paving | June 29, 1917 | 8 | 4
Rex-Tigard Grading | July 20, 1917 | 5 | 4
Rex-Tigard Paving | July 20, 1917 | 9 | 4
Clackamas-Marion Paving | July 20, 1917 | 9 | 5
Siskiyou Grading | July 20, 1917 | 1 | 1
Siskiyou Paving | July 20, 1917 | 1 | 1
Astoria-Svenson Grading | July 20, 1917 | 4 | 4
Astoria-Svenson Paving | July 20, 1917 | 7 | 4
Goble Section Grading | July 30, 1917 | 2 | 2
Rainier Hill Section Grading | July 30, 1917 | 4 | 4
Cascade Locks Section Grading| July 30, 1917 | 3 | 3
Viento Section Grading | July 30, 1917 | 4 | 4
Ruthton Hill Section Grading | July 30, 1917 | 7 | 7
Columbia County Bridges, Wood| Aug. 7, 1917 | 5 | 5
Columbia County Bridges, | | |
Concrete | Aug. 7, 1917 | 5 | 5
Wasco County, Macadam | Aug. 7, 1917 | 1 | 1
Cummings Hill, Macadam | Aug. 7, 1917 | 1 | 1
Condon-Thirty Mile Creek, | | |
Macadam | Aug. 7, 1917 | 1 | 1
Mult. County Line-Scappoose, | | |
Paving | Aug. 7, 1917 | 3 | 2
Bend-Lapine, Cindering | Aug. 7, 1917 | 2 | 2
Clatsop County Line-Goble, | | |
Macadam | Aug. 7, 1917 | 2 | 2
New Era Grading | Aug. 7, 1917 | 1 | 1
Divide-Latham Macadam | Aug. 7, 1917 | - | -
Pioneer Mountain Section, | | |
Grading | Aug. 7, 1917 | - | -
Lakeview-Paisley Macadam | Aug. 7, 1917 | - | -
Svenson-Westport Macadam | Aug. 7, 1917 | 1 | 1
Tillamook-Cloverdale Paving | Aug. 7, 1917 | 9 | 3
Oregon City-Canby Paving | Sept. 4, 1917 | 1 | 1
Lane County Line-Comstock | | |
Grading | Sept. 5, 1917 | 2 | 2
Comstock-Leona Grading | Sept. 5, 1917 | 2 | 2
Yoncalla-Oakland Grading | Sept. 5, 1917 | 3 | 3
Locust Hill Section Grading | Sept. 25, 1917 | 4 | 4
Wolf Creek-Grave Creek | | |
Grading | Nov. 6, 1917 | 9 | 9
Myrtle Creek-Dillard Grading | Nov. 27, 1917 | 7 | 7
Bridge Creek Section Grading | Nov. 27, 1917 | 2 | 2
John Day Bridge | Nov. 27, 1917 | 4 | 4
Goble Creek Bridge | Nov. 27, 1917 | 5 | 5
Onion Flat Bridge | Nov. 27, 1917 | 3 | 3
Canemah-New Era Grading | Dec. 10, 1917 | 4 | 4
Tualatin Bridge | Jan. 1, 1918 | 3 | 3
Umpqua Bridge 21/2 miles south | | |
of Dillard | Jan. 9, 1918 | 4 | 4
Umpqua Bridge 1 mile north | | |
of Dillard | Jan. 9, 1918 | 5 | 5
Pendleton-Echo Grading and | | |
Macadam | Feb. 5, 1918 | 3 | 3
Echo-Morrow County Line | | |
Grading and Macadam | Feb. 5, 1918 | 5 | 4
Umpqua Bridge 21/2 miles south | | |
Dillard | Feb. 5, 1918 | 4 | 4
Hood River Bridge | Mar. 5, 1918 | 4 | 4
Umpqua Bridge 21/2 miles south | | |
Dillard | Mar. 5, 1918 | 3 | 3
Beaver Creek Bridge No. 11 | Mar. 23, 1918 | 1 | 1
Half Viaduct Little Jack | | |
Falls | Mar. 23, 1918 | 1 | 1
Svenson-Columbia County Line | | |
Macadam | Mar. 23, 1918 | 1 | 1
Sheridan-McMinnville Section | | |
Paving | Mar. 23, 1918 | 1 | 1
Graham Creek Bridge | Mar. 23, 1918 | ... | ...
Plympton Creek Bridge | Mar. 23, 1918 | ... | ...
Little Creek Bridge | Mar. 23, 1918 | ... | ...
Big Creek Bridge | Mar. 23, 1918 | ... | ...
Clatsop County Line-Tide | | |
Creek Macadam | Mar. 23, 1918 | ... | ...
2 half viaducts in Columbia | | |
County | Mar. 23, 1918 | ... | ...
Stone Wall Construction | | |
Columbia County | Mar. 23, 1918 | ... | ...
Cascade Locks Section Gravel | May 14, 1918 | 1 | 1
Salem-Aurora Paving unit | | |
No. 1 | June 25, 1918 | 3 | 2
Salem-Aurora Paving unit | | |
No. 2 | June 25, 1918 | 3 | 2
Fanno Creek Bridge | July 9, 1918 | 6 | 6
Elgin-Minam Section Grading | July 9, 1918 | 1 | 1
Union-Telocaset Section | | |
Grading | July 9, 1918 | 4 | 4
Elgin-Minam Section Grading | July 9, 1918 | 3 | 3
Ashland Paving | July 9, 1918 | 3 | 2
Divide-Comstock Macadam | July 9, 1918 | 1 | 1
Divide Overhead Crossing | Sept. 10, 1918 | 1 | 1
Divide Overhead Crossing | | |
Grading | Sept. 10, 1918 | 1 | 1
Marshfield-Coquille Macadam | Oct. 8, 1918 | 2 | 2
| +-----------+-----------
| | 216 | 182
-----------------------------+----------------+-----------+-----------
Under the provisions of the Six Million Dollar Bonding Act, bonds to the
amount of $2,190,000.00 par value have been sold. These bonds bear four
per cent interest and mature in from five to twenty-five years from date
of issue. An average of six proposals were made for each issue.
===========+==========+===========+===============+==========+==========
Date of | Date of | Numbers | Highest |Par Value |Price Paid
Sales | Bonds | | Bidder | |
-----------+----------+-----------+---------------+----------+----------
Aug. 7, | Aug. 1, | 1- 520 | Lumbermen's | $ 500,000| $ 471,300
1917 | 1917 | | Trust | |
| | | Company | |
Sept. 12, | Sept. 1, | 521-1040 | E. H. Rollins | 500,000| 472,130
1917 | 1917 | | & Sons | |
Mar. 15, | April 1, | 1041-1560 | Henry Teal | 500,000| 455,850
1918 | 1918 | | | |
July 9, | July 1, | 1561-2280 | E. H. Rollins | 690,000| 643,770
1918 | 1918 | | & Sons and | |
| | | A. B. Leach | |
| | | +----------+----------
Totals |$2,190,000|$2,043,050
--------------------------------------------------+----------+----------
Under the provisions of Chapter 175 of the Laws of 1917, (Bean-Barrett)
bonds to meet Federal co-operation are authorized. Four hundred thousand
dollars par value of these bonds were sold August 18, 1918 by the Board
of Control to the highest bidder, Clark-Kendall & Co., whose proposal
was $381,160.00. These bonds are four per cent and mature in from four
to eight years.
The work accomplished during the biennium may be summed up as follows:
50 miles of hard surface.
111.8 miles of broken stone or gravel surface.
134.5 miles of graded roadbed.
40 bridges.
With the close of the war and the prospect of declining prices of
material and a more plentiful supply of labor, the Commission looks
forward to 1919 as a year in which a great deal can be accomplished and
at this date a tentative program has been prepared providing for
improvement of the State Highways in every county of the State.
The report of the State Highway Engineer to the Commission is hereto
appended, showing in detail the work accomplished and the expenditures
during the biennium.