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4-2103
FEDER.AL WORKS AGENCY
WORK PROJECTS .ADMiliIISTRATION
,} \'Ytl ).:;t o r /J
U7 ;
...,.
.~:-'--"'-" J'/~ ~
MAR 18 1940 ~
:_, --- (,,lfii!RARY
For Release to Afternoon Newspo,pers,
Tuesclr,.~r , ?!arch 19, 1940.
HP.A BEGI:TS 11 :REPORT TO N'ATIOlif 11 , LISTING 450 , 000 MILES OF RO.ADS .A}ID
STRESTS 3UILT OR IMPROVED, VAST EXTENSION OF AIRPORTS AUD AIRY/AYS.
One- seventh of all the highways , roads and streets in the
Uni tecl States , or more than 457 , 000 miles , have "been ouil t , reconstructed. or imp r,.,ved oy V-TPA workers in four and one- half years
of o~,e ra,tions , Colonel F. C. Harrington , Commissioner of Ylork
Proj ects , announced todo,y.
Tl1e repf\rt was the fir st of a series showing accomplishmei1ts
on 17PA :pro ,:]ects from July 1 , 1935 , when i'TPA was established , through
Dec ember 31 , 1939 .
It is based on the most comprehensive invent ory
of TTPA uor~;:: ever compiled , the Cor.unissioner explained, to make
avlJ,il2-"Jle
II
a report to the nation rm the pu'blic improvements re-
sul tL:1c fror.1 the employment of millions of Americ2. 1 s jooless . 11
When co:npleted , it will list all WPA accomplishments , county oy
count:·.
In addition to roads and stree ts, the largest s ingle classification of YTPA proj ects , t:1e first r eport covered tl1e construction
of airpo rts, airways and other transportation facilities .
11 F or
11
every ten miles you drive , " Colonel Harrington said ,
an ave:·o,:::;e of one a..YJ.d a half miles have 'been ouil t or improved 'by
WPA r:o r!;:ers .
11 Adopting
a familiar form of comparison , the total mileace
of hi c;:ma;:rs , roads and streets built or improved oy 1:r'PA in four a11d
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- 2 a h a l f :rec,r s woul d be a ~"1ir oxiinate l ;f equ a l in len.c;th to 147 t r [UlscontLlelYG o.l highways fr om :fow York to Lo s .Ang el es or Soattle . n
Colonel H2,rrington also cited the accompli shments on airp orts and airw,,ys as r epre::;en ting t?i.e 'oul:c of public proper t y i ~
p r ove;icnts in this fi e ld of tro..ns ro rt n.tio n durinc; r e ce n t years .
:i::ew air:9orts built
oy
1JPA during tl1is per i od number 1 97 ;
The re wei·e also 1 7C bndi:·, ;c: fields l:milt o:r W?A , with 2 98 i mp rov ed_
and ac1cli tions to 45 otiYrs .
Con s truction of
He ..1
rum;ay s totaled
1 , 756 , 000 f ee t , 0r more th~n 332 miles , in l en~th .
Kore than
1 , 00-J , 000 1 ineal fe e t of nm? rumrays were pavec1.•
Airr ort buildiD.:;;s co ns t r ucted. by W?A total 387 .
There
were 535 snch buildi ngs r e c on s truct ed or i mp roYe cc and add.i tions
were built to 45 .
Outsta:1c1in 0 omong oth e r i ··.11 :, r ovemen ts to airnorts
and. ai1·u2,:,,s -.7 ere the c o:is truction of ? , 58 8 airway rn?.rkers and th e
installr.1,ti on of 7 , 873 li e:.1 t st2.ncl.-:-irds t o illu!Ji.na t e bound.o..r i es .
Sixt;';-- f our l[',:1cling areas
were tuil t .
nel'A
floodlighted anC::. ,S5 air1,70,y beacons
Extensive improv omtns to existL1i::; fo.cili ties also
were L1ac1e in p romoting aviation s2£ety .
i'.:a jor im:pro\rcmer1ts t o th e n a tion 1 s tr2,n spo rk'. ti on systera,
as shorm ty t :'.1e WPA r e:9or t , a ls o i :r..clud.e :
A::;i~iroximatel:r 56 , 000 new brid.ses a:l.d viaducts , r anging
fro E1 l ::,., r c_;e s t eel structures t o s!'lal;t. srans o-;: . wood or masonry .
T:1e
a{;~-r ocate l ength of thi s new co~1struction \-:as 1 , 7 66 , 701 feet , or
n e arl:· 335 miles .
An o,cl.di t io r:.al 37 , 020 b rid 1.s;os o.nd. viaducts ,
tot::1li:.1r.; l:VJrC than 1 , 500 , 000 linea.l fe e t , non~ r eou.il t or imrro\red.
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Hc.:1rly 3 , 400 rnilcs of culverts uerc i nc l uded in t~e list
of n on crmstruction :md more thn::1 4-'J,) rniles of exist ing cuJ. v e rt s
were i m:)rov oc_ .
Ro:1dsi rl8 drr•,inago ,vork by i7PA sl:owc d. .a total of n eRrly
43 , 000 nilos of n ow p i pe or . ·cli tch , wit:1 reconstruction or imprcvoment of norc t han 68 , 000 miles .
Hew s id.e';;;:i,lks 2.m'L nc:~ths a 6 gr cgated 15 , 341 miles , of r,hi ch
12 , 679 mil e s r, c r e paved.
Jl..n ·,,dditi ont1.l 5 , 470 mil es nere rebuilt
or i IJprovcd ..
Cons tructi on of cu.rbs r eached a tot a l of 14, 403 miles .
An adc' i tiono,l 4: , 100 miles of gut te r s ,.-,e r e built nnd more than
1 , 700 miles of guardr 2.il s and. guo,r(fr.1 ,,,ll s wore. erected.
~r L,ff ic s!'>.fe ty ri,lso m:!.s e:0}11.nc e d by t he :;,ni nting of cc:ntr ol lL1cs tot11lin 6 1 , 576 miles in l engt h o.nd t:1c e r ec ti on of 63 8 , 848
tro.ffic sic;i1s .
In i mp r ov i :1b rc2..d n..r.d st r oo t lig:1 ti ilg , 21 , 695 li e:ht
sto,210.,~ r d. s 1-ro z·o ins t a.l l ocl , oquip1: ing nearly a thousand miles of
t hor ou;l1fe. :t c s , and. an n.ci.di tionnl 55 , 312 li cht sto..ndo..rds uo r e r ebuilt
or i r~rov c Q along 1 , 378 miles .
Thirty thous:md mil 0s cf ro:sd.side 1/:..ndsc'.'..ping imp rovemcnts l'..lso r, c re sho·.m hy the report .
Illu.strative of t:10 w·,ri c t~r of i t erns incl1..1.dc d in this
r cr,ort ucrc o. tot;:i.l of 629 nm, hilll,c ls "bui l t :-°c-,r v c.h icul!l..r or
p odestri2. n tr:,. ffic , or totn .
Ev en rmt or .-!ay trans})ort.:i'ti on f ,"..cili ti cs ,.,ere o.ffectod
t he 17PA p::.·o t,r::irn during this -r:,c riod.
oy
Construction of 240 docks ,
whnrvos o..D.d. :p i e r s was r c po rt -: d. , rri th tho. r ccor..st r uct i on or i mprcnre.....
mont of 234 such s tru ctl.tr es .
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A simil,,r i nv cr.tory r.f c::,ccompl i shmont covcri:1g puoli c
buildinc;s , publ i c u tili ti os an,l so.ni tntion i s no::1.rL1g
Colonel Hn,r: ·ingt on so.i d , £\net '.7il l
110
co □rlction ,
folloncd hy l'n n,ccounting of
nll c.cconr,lishmonts on p r ofosR i onal C1..nd sc rYic o pl'ojo ct 3 and othe r
ty:i:ics .
Al t 110u gh the :pcri0d coyor cd by t:ho r o~_)ort is fou r r1,nd one-
hnlf ~rco..rs , th o Commi ssior. r: r _pointo1 cut, TTPA on oro..t i o11s did not
r eRch full. C:_r.wo J. 01-:imcnt u::itiJ_ near thi_, enc'L of 1935, ,7:10n gr a nt s
throw;h t::.c Fede r a l :SnorgoncJ' Relief Achninis trP.tion ~,,ore d.i 3continuecl.
'.:'he r o:po rt d_oc3 n o t i n clnclo ,::o rk done u.nclor the FI:F..A or
tho Civil ·.-ror!CS Adr.:ini s trD,ti on .
oporQtocl ·~;y other ]'odc,r ;:,,,l
It a l so exc l -:._,cies r ro jects no,7
o, 6 oncios
out fino.nc ed oy WPA funds .
(A stntis ticnl summary i s attetch c cl .
Dotails of VlPA
opo1·2-tions , 'uy States , m~cy oo obto,ir,o cl frcm St..'.'tt o V.TA ho2,dq_uartors.)
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4-2103
FE:!1ERAL WORKS AGENCY
WORK PRO,T.ECTS ADMINISTRATION
REPORT OF ACCOMPLIS:iME:TT ON PROJECTS OF THE DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
Cumulative through ::.lecember 31, 1939
United States Summary
(Part I)
(Preliminary - Subject to Revision)
.filshw~, Roads , Streets and Re lated Facilities
Unit
of
Measurement
Item
~ber
or
.Ainount
Miles
457,734
Miles
400,887
Mil es
27,979
New Construe ti on
Miles
14,674
Reconstruction o r Improvement
M::.les
13,305
Low Type Surface and Unsurfaced
Miles
372,908
Urbar. Streets and Alle;/S - Total
Miles
4'J,7G3
Miles
20,082
~Tew Construction
Miles
11,145
Reconstruction o r Im:rJroveuent
Mil es
8 ,937
Low Ty·pe Surface and Unsurfaced
Miles
29,581
Miles
7,084
Miles
1,500
Hew Construe tion
Miles
913
Recons tructi on or Improveme?J.t
Miles
587
Low T;rpe Su:.:face and_ Unsurfa.c.sd
Miles
5,584
Highways, Roads , and Streets - Total
Rural Roads - niots l
High Type Surface - Total
High Ty"'.)e Surface - 'fot.al
Other Roads (in rarks , etc . ) - '!'otal
High Type Surface - Total
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4-2103
Highways, Roads , Stre et s and Rel_f t cd F3ciliti ,: s _J'Jont '...,d~),_______________
or Amount
Unit
Item
Recons tructi on
of
New Con: or Improvement
_ __ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _,M::.:6"-'
·a::c:s:c.:'-'-"'-'-r: . :ec,.:.,m: . :,e: .:nc:. .t:c.-._ _....;s:::...t::..:ruo..=c:::..t,::..:i::..:o::'.;n==------'-'~--=-="--"'Bridges and Vi aduc ts - To tal
Ht.unber
Len 6 th in f ee; t
55 , 934
1, 766 , 701
37 , 020
1,574 , 648
Wood Bridges and Viaducts
Humbe r
Lengt h in feet
41 ,358
l, 227 , 23iJ
21, 208
656 ,311
Stee l Bridges a nd Viaducts
}fu.mbo r
Length in feet
4,514
234, _860
12 , 239
769 , 328
Fumb e r
Len 6 th in feet
10 , 062
304 , 606
3 , 573
149 , 009
Culverts
Yumbe r
Length in f eet
673 , 233
17 , 921 , 807
8L1: , 437
2 , 128 ,162
Roadside Draina;e - Total
Mil es of ditch
and :r_:i i pe
42 , 99 ,1
68 ,1 93
Roadside Drainage Ditch
Mil os
40 , 289
67 ,56 7
Roadside Drainage Pi pe
Miles
2 , 705
626
Sid ewalk s and Paths - rrot.s>l
Mil os
15 , 341
5 , 470
Paved
Miles
12 , 679
3 , 921
Unpaved
Mil es
2,662
1,549
Curbs
Miles
14 , 403
2 , 688
Gutters
Mil es
4 ,100
623
Gu£1 r dr a il s and Guar dwal l s
Mi l es
1,705
854
Road and Stree t Lighting
No . of li :;h t
21 , 696
55 ,31 2
993
1,378
638 , 848
xxx:
Masonry Br idges and Viaducts
standards
Hiles of roc1d
eq_uippperl
Numb e r
Traffic SigLs Er ec ted
'I'
Traffic Control Lino P~int 6d
Milos of lir..e
4 , 57&
XXX
Roadside LanJscap i ng
Mil o s of road
XX.'{
29 , 794
Removal of Car and RailroacL Track Mil e s of sini l e
li ne track removed
1,216
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Airports and Airways
Unit
of
Measurement
Item
Number or .Amount
New Con- Reconstruction
stru.ction or Improvement Acliition Surfacin8.:
Aiq)o rts
:Nu.,11be r
197
337
35
XXX
Lan,Un;.-; Fields
176
Number
.Area in acres 22 , 556
298
45
2,291
XXX
41,945
Runways - Total
xx.-x:
Length in
thousand s
of feet
1,756
372
XXX:
170
Length in
t housands
of feet
1,065
104
XXX
102
Leng th in
thou.sands
of feet
691
268
XXX
68
Nu.mber
387
555
45
XXX
Administrative and Termin[!l
Buildings
Num'Jer
71
46
12
XXX
Paved Runways
Unpaved Runways
Airport Buildings - Total
Hangars
lifwnoer
155
143
16
XXX
Other Airport Buildings
l\woer
161
366
17
XXX
Seap lane Ramps and Landing
Platforms
Number
24
2
XXX
XXX
64
16
XXX
XXX
1,633
180
XXX
XXX
No . of li ght
s tanda r ds
7,873
1,449
XXX
XXX
Airway Markers
Number
9,588
1,559
XXX
XXX
Airway Bea.cons
Number
65
10
XXX
XXX
Landing .Are as Floodlighted Number
No . of li ght
stand.a.r d s
Boundary Li ghts
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Items Not El sei-rhere Classified
Unit
of
Measurement
Item
l'unnels - Tot2.l
Vehicular Tunnels
Fedestrion ~\mnels
Other Tunnels
:-Tumber or Amcunt
Hew ConReconstruction
st ruction or Imrrovement
Ada_i tions
Number
Lent;th in ft .
629
268 , 867
79
53 , 045
XXX
lJumber
Length in ft .
20
2,586
8
6 , 058
)Ci:_,'{
Humber
Leagth in ft .
117
19 , 051
25
8 , 901
lfomber
Length in ft .
492
247,230
46
38 , 086
XX.,"{
240
234
XX.."\:
64
185
XXX
)ocks, Wharves and Piers
Nu:,1ber
l..rtificial Channels , other than
Irri gat ion or Drai~age
Mi le s
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XXX
XXX
X.Y,X
XXX
@FedFRASER