The State paid the entire cost of this work amounting to $28,673.43 and it is thought that about $1,500.00 per mile will be required for maintenance and re-dressing during the next few months.
C. A. Harrington was resident engineer and inspector for the Department on this work.
Mayville-Wheeler County Line—Grading and Macadam
At the completion of the state work on the Cummins Hill macadam, Gilliam County deemed it advisable to avail themselves of the opportunity to utilize the installed equipment and organization for macadamizing the John Day Highway between Mayville and Wheeler County Line, one mile south. Accordingly they graded and laid macadam for this distance thereby connecting Mayville up with the Wheeler County macadam. Gilliam County paid the full cost of this work amounting to about $6,500.00 for both grading and macadam.
The engineering and inspection was done by the State Department with George Hibbet in charge.
Columbia River Highway—Survey
A location survey of the Columbia River Highway was made by the State Highway Department during 1918. Beginning at the John Day River near its mouth the line follows up the Columbia River paralleling the O.-W. R. & N. Railway and ends at Arlington. The total length of the survey is twenty-three and ninety-six one-hundredths miles. The plans for the eight and sixty-eight one-hundredths miles section from Arlington to Blalock have been completed but there are revisions to be made in the remainder of the line owing to right-of-way encroachments upon the railroad property.
This survey was made under the direction of C. A. Harrington and B. H. McNamee, locating engineers for the State Department.
GRANT COUNTY
Grant County lies in the mountainous section of the State and its limits on three sides, north, east and south follow water sheds. The general slope of the lands and direction of the drainage is toward the west but even here the country is of such rugged character that no natural passageways are found to relieve the isolated condition. The roads in all directions are very rough and of little economic value to the County. The narrow gauge railway leading from Baker to Prairie City serves the whole County for both passenger and freight traffic.