On July 20, 1917, the State Highway Department contracted with the Warren Construction Company for nine miles of paving between Astoria and Svensen. This contract called for a 16-foot bituminous pavement on a crushed rock base and with two-foot macadam shoulders. The contract also included the grading of a section 1.2 miles in length about midway between Astoria and Svensen, this section being known as the John Day Cut-off.
Work was started on the grading of the cut-off on August 6, 1917, and on the erection of the paving plant on August 15. On September 20, the first batch of hot stuff was placed on the road at the Svensen end. The work was just nicely started, however, when the rainy season which came on unusually early, started in and the work had to be discontinued. At this time the work on the grading of the cut-off was but fifty or sixty per cent complete, and only one mile of paving had been laid.
BITUMINOUS PAVING NEAR SVENSON
IN CLATSOP COUNTY ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY.
PAVED IN 1917
The following season, the roadbed did not become sufficiently dry to permit of resumption of work until about the 15th of June, but even at that late date the contractors were not able to start work on account of the shortage in materials and labor resulting from the participation of the United States in the war, and it was not until July 23 the work was resumed. Continued shortage of labor and material made progress very slow particularly on the placing of rock base, and when the 1918 rainy season came on a total of only 3.5 miles of paving had been completed. The grading of the John Day Cut-off had been finished, however, and considerable progress made on the removal of slides and regrading of roadbed.
The paving was discontinued on October 2 but in order to provide a passable roadbed at as early a date as possible, it was decided to continue the placing of rock base during the winter months. This work is now in progress, and it is expected that a rocked surface over the remaining unpaved distance of 5.5 miles will be secured by about January 1, 1919.
The paving work will be continued again next season, and will undoubtedly be completed early in the season.
It is estimated that the grading and paving of this section will cost completed $236,000.00. The total expenditures to November 30, 1918, amounted to $96,955.97 and there remained unpaid to the contractor for work done to that date the sum of $15,225.64.