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26
HIGHWAY NEEDS OF THE NATIONAL DEFENSE

On 3,518 miles, 36 in urban and 3,482 in rural areas, the traffic averaged between 400 and 1,000 vehicles daily. Carrying between 1,000 and 2,000 vehicles daily there were 9,496 miles, of which 229 were urban and 9,267 miles were rural.

Traffic between 2,000 and 3,000 vehicles daily was served by 8,098 miles of the system, 381 urban and 7,717 rural; and 7,945 miles, of which 834 were urban and 7,111 were rural, served traffic averaging between 3,000 and 5,000 vehicles daily.

Of the sections carrying heavier volumes of traffic, 4,636 miles carried between 5,000 and 10,000 vehicles, 1,874 miles between 10,000 and 20,000, 314 miles between 20,000 and 30,000, and 123 miles 30,000 or more vehicles daily. Of these several traffic volume classes, the mileage of urban and rural routes is as follows:

Average daily traffic Urban mileage Rural mileage
5,000 to 10,000
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1,434 3,202
10,000 to 20,000
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1,207 667
20,000 to 30,000
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
291 23
30,000 or more
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
119 4
Total, 5,000 or more
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3,051 3,896

In the entire extent of the system there are 1,437 miles, all urban, on which the volume of traffic has not been determined.

SURFACE TYPES AND TRAFFIC VOLUME GENERALLY CONSISTENT

The types of surfaces existing on the system are generally consistent with the volume of traffic. Of the 144 miles of low-type surfaces, 73 miles are on roads traveled by less than 1,000 vehicles daily. Of the 4,990 miles of intermediate-type surfacing, 3,930 miles carry between 400 and 3,000 vehicles daily; and of the 32,642 miles of high-type surface, 29,155 miles are known to carry traffic greater than 1,000 vehicles daily.

Of the 6,947 miles known to carry traffic of 5,000 or more vehicles daily, 6,744 miles are improved with high-type surfaces, and only 200 miles have intermediate-type surfaces; most of the 3-mile remainder is temporarily unsurfaced.

But while there is this general consistency between surface type and traffic volume, inconsistencies are not lacking. For example, there are 33 miles of the system, carrying more than 3,000 vehicles daily, that have only a gravel surface; there are 29 miles that are surfaced with intermediate-type surfaces though their traffic exceeds 10,000 vehicles daily; and there are 119 miles improved with high-type pavements that serve traffic of less than 400 vehicles daily.

INCONSISTENCIES OF TRAFFIC VOLUME AND SURFACE WIDTH

It is in the relation of surface width and traffic volume, however, that the greater inconsistencies appear. On rural sections of the system there are 888 miles of 2-lane surfaces that carried 800 or more vehicles hourly in 1948. Of these, 72 miles are surfaced less than 20 feet wide. In contrast with the grossly inadequate widths of these sections, there are 50 miles of the rural system which, though