CURRY COUNTY
The most important highway in this County is, of course, the Coast Highway, which affords an outlet to California on the south and Coos Bay on the north. Between the Coos County Line and Port Orford the route of the Coast Highway lies along the foot of the mountains and on a comparatively level plain and, except in a few cases at river crossings, the grades of the present road are not excessive. The alignment could be improved but is satisfactory for the present. A gravel surfacing on this section makes it passable the whole year round.
South of Port Orford the topography of the County changes. The slopes are steep; in many cases reaching forty degrees, and are badly broken up. This section is also subject to slides of which there is abundant evidence of recent activity. The drainage being at right angles to the coast must be crossed by the highway requiring considerable rise and fall in the grade line.
A survey from Port Orford south was commenced in December of 1917. A line was located and staked ready for construction between Port Orford and Hubbard Creek, eliminating steep grades and sharp curves on the present road. A close preliminary line was run between Hubbard Creek and Mussel Creek (Arizona Inn), a thorough study made of the conditions and the following route recommended, which eliminates the excessive grades and high summit of 1,100 feet of the present road. The location lies between elevation 100 and 400, dropping into and crossing drainage as it is met, following close to the beach until Brush Creek is reached, then following up Brush Creek on the east side of Humbug Mountain until an intersection with the present road is reached, straightening out present road for about one mile, then following the coast between elevation 200 and 400, dropping into Mussel Creek.
The controlling points on this route are the slides which must be headed to secure a stable roadbed. A twelve-foot roadbed has been proposed for this project, with maximum six per cent grades and the construction even for this narrow width is heavy as it will be necessary to bench out the entire width of the roadbed on solid ground, the slopes being too steep for fill to catch. Considerable bridging is required and a gravel surface provided throughout the entire length to insure an all year road, so the cost of even this narrow roadbed will be high.
A beach route located about ten feet above high tide has been proposed, and, while this has the advantage of shorter distance and no rise and fall, this route is not believed to be feasible because the underlying rock is soft and disintegrates readily and is eroded by tidal action to a considerable extent. The numerous slides at this elevation would also make construction on this location inadvisable for a permanent road.
A reconnaissance was made between Mussel Creek and Gold Beach. After leaving Mussel Creek, considerable development work is required to attain standard grade, and but a small portion of the present road could be used. Passing Euchre Creek, there will be utilized along Cedar Creek a new section of road about eight miles in length which has been recently graded by the County. If widened and the alignment corrected in a few locations, this would afford a direct route to the Rogue River where a ferry runs regularly. Between the river crossing and Gold Beach there is a fair road requiring only straightening out and widening.
A large portion of the total area of Curry County is in the forest reserve making the taxable area relatively small. For this reason and in view of the heavy cost of construction, aid is asked by the County from State and Federal sources. The most needed improvement is the section between Port Orford and Brush Creek. In view of the increasing probability of the Coast Military Highway by the Federal Government, which would be a great benefit to this County as well as to the State in general, it is desired to construct such sections as are undertaken on the correct location and standard grades, so that future widening and surfacing only will be necessary to bring it to the high standards which will undoubtedly be maintained on this military highway.
It has been proposed by the Commission to co-operate with the Forest Service in a joint Forest Aid Project in Coos and Curry Counties, each contributing $50,000.00, the Forest money to be spent in northern Coos County and the State money, between Port Orford and Brush Creek. Curry County has offered to co-operate with County tax funds. It is hoped that this project can be carried out during the 1919 season.