PAVING

A total of fifty miles of pavement was completed by the Department during the 1917 and 1918 seasons. Had it not been for the entrance of the United States into the war, this mileage would have been more than doubled, but with need of paving materials, labor and capital for war uses, the Commission felt that it must curtail its paving program to the greatest possible extent. To this end, only three miles of pavement was started during the 1918 season, whereas under normal conditions the mileage of new work would have been greatly in excess of the forty-seven miles undertaken in 1917.

The sections of pavement completed are as follows:

Clackamas County—Miles
Oregon City to Canby7.5
Clatsop County—
Astoria to Svensen3.5
Columbia County—
Scappoose to Multnomah County Line2.5
Jackson County—
Ashland Hill Section0.8
Tillamook County—
Tillamook-Cloverdale Section5.0
Umatilla County—
Pendleton to Adams10.0
Pendleton to State Hospital1.0
Washington County—
Multnomah County Line to Yamhill County Line12.5
Yamhill County—
Newberg to Washington County Line3.2
Sheridan east4.0
Total miles paved50.0

All of the above pavements are sixteen feet in width, and despite the fact that the prices of material and labor increased greatly during the period between the inauguration of the six million dollar paving program and the actual commencement of work, the cost of these paved roads has been only slightly in excess of $1,000.00 per mile per foot width contemplated at the time the six million dollar bond issue was voted. The actual cost of the fifty miles of completed pavement was approximately $872,500.00 which gives a unit cost of $1,090.00 per mile per foot width.

Each of the sections paved is described in full in an article under the heading of the particular county in which it is located.