The Key West Citizen

U.S. Highway Network May Cost More Now

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (P)—Senators may learn next week that the estimated cost of completing the 41,000-mile interstate superhighway network has leaped 10 billion dollars since the 1956 highway act was passed.

Secretary of Commerce Weeks and Federal Highway Administrator Bertram D. Tallamy are to brief the Senate Public Roads subcommittee Wednesday on progress on the superhighway system as well as other road programs.

Sen. Gore (D-Tenn), the subcommittee chairman, has asked Weeks to produce at the hearing the Bureau of Public Roads report on new cost estimates.

When the law was passed the 41,000 miles of construction was expected to cost $27,500,000,000, but one Senate expert said today it might run between 35 and 40 billion dollars. He said states have revised their estimates upwards by 100 per cent. The federal government pays 90 per cent of the cost.

This source blamed much of the increase on a steady rise in construction costs. But another factor is that many states made their new estimates with greater care.

Original figures were requested from the states in 1954. Some state officials say those estimates were not prepared with anything like the study that would have been devoted to them had it been known then they would get the basis for a 16-year roadbuilding program.

The new cost estimates are particularly important because, starting with the 1960 fiscal year, the apportionments of funds to the states will be based on these cost figures.