During 1917 and 1918 the State Highway Department surveyed a greater
part of the Baker-Cornucopia Highway. The policy of giving first
attention to those portions of the road most in need of improvement
resulted in the surveying of four separate sections. These sections are
designated as follows: Baker-Middle Bridge; Love Bridge-Black Bridge;
Canyon and Sag Sections. These surveys were made under the direction of
J. O. Kingsley and W. C. Crews, locating engineers for the State Highway
Department.
The Baker-Middle Bridge section extends from Baker to a point near
Middle Bridge on Lower Powder River. Beginning at Baker the line follows
closely the present main traveled road east for about six miles, thence
along the Palmer road to the present crossing at Ruckles Creek, thence
down Ruckles Creek to a point about two miles south of Keating, thence
easterly, leaving Ruckles Creek, and entering the lower Powder River
Valley near Middle Bridge. This survey is 18.64 miles in length. The
plans for this work are completed.
The Love Bridge-Black Bridge section covers that portion of the route
through the canyon between the Keating and Richland districts. At
present all traffic passes through Sparta and over the mountains to the
north of the Powder River there being no road through the canyon. This
survey is about ten miles long and involves heavy and expensive
construction. This project begins at a point about seven miles east of
Keating and ends about five miles west of Richland. There is a four-mile
section of the Baker-Cornucopia Highway lying between Middle and Love
Bridges that has not been definitely located. No office work has been
done for this survey.
What is known as the Canyon Section extends through the canyon east of
Richland. This survey begins at a point 1.5 miles east of Richland and
parallels the Powder River along the north bank for a distance of 4.64
miles. The project ends at the point where the proposed route leaves the
Powder River and leads over the mountains toward Pine Valley. Plans are
almost completed for this project.
The Sag Section is that part of the road leading north from the divide
between Powder River and Pine Valley. This survey which is 4.69 miles
long begins at the divide and ends at a point in the edge of Pine Valley
two miles south of Halfway. The location follows very near the route of
the present road. The office work in connection with this survey is
nearing completion.