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110 PLANNING NOW IN PROGRESS

Under the act of 1941.—Preparations for post-war construction of the interregional system have fortunately not been entirely neglected. The Defense Highway Act of 1941 authorized an expenditure of $10,000,000 of Federal funds, matched with State funds in the proportions required by the Federal Highway Act, for surveys and plans or the future construction of highways included in the strategic network of routes of principal military importance and on routes around and into and through municipalities and metropolitan areas.

With the required State matching, this Federal provision will probably make possible the completion of surveys and plans for construction projects totaling in cost nearly $500,000,000. The Public Roads Administration has wisely urged upon the State highway departments the desirability of giving high priority in the selection of projects to be planned to those that will supply essential links in the system of interregional routes herein recommended.

The Federal funds authorized for this purpose have been apportioned among the several States as required by law, and in part have been allotted with the approval of the Public Roads Administration to specific projects. The apportionment by States, the general programs of work approved, the status of allotment of the Federal funds to projects with the corresponding estimated total cost, the mileage of road involved in the planning projects, and the unprogramed and unallotted balances of Federal funds, as of October 31, 1943, are shown in table 19.