POST ROAD PROJECTS
Up to November 30, 1918, fifteen Post Road Projects had been submitted to the Office of Public Roads for approval. Of these fifteen projects nine have received approval, three have been rejected as not complying with the government requirements as regards rural and star route mail service over them, and three are pending action by the Secretary of Agriculture. The rejected projects were the Wolf Creek-Grave Creek project in Josephine county, the Canyonville-Galesville project in Douglas County, and the Myrtle Creek-Dillard project also in Douglas County. The first and third of these projects have since been constructed without government co-operation, and the second is under construction as a “Forest Road.”
Construction is now under way on two Post Road Projects both of which are in Union County. These are the Elgin-Minam project, estimated to cost $41,151.00, and the Union-Telocaset project, estimated to cost $30,000.00. The contracts for the construction of both jobs were let on July 9, 1918, to Union County, represented by the County Court, the lowest bidder. Subsequent to the letting, however, the Attorney General gave the opinion that the County Court had no legal authority to enter into a contract of this nature, and in order to facilitate matters and prevent delay in construction the State Highway Commission on September 10, 1918, agreed to take the work over at the prices bid by the County, the County agreeing to reimburse the State in case the cost of the work exceeded the bid prices.
The total estimated cost of all projects agreed upon to date is $1,409,993.24 of which $627,496.62 is to be paid by the Federal Government, $627,496.62 by the State, and $155,000.00 by the Counties interested. On [page 24] is given a tabulation of the Post Road Projects approved, giving the estimated cost of each project with the respective amounts to be paid by the State, the Federal Government and the Counties.