Commissioner of Indian Affairs Louis R. Bruce announced today the award of a $1. 9 million contract with Broce G6nstruction Co. of New Mexico, Inc., of Tucumcari, N. M., for the bituminous surfacing of 20.582 miles of highway and the widening of a bridge on the Navajo ‘Reservation. When the surfacing is completed it will provide an all-weather highway from Crownpoint, N. M. to within approximately three miles of Whitehorse, N. M.
Completion of the project will mark the first ·of several planned projects by the Bureau of Indian Affairs transportation division to provide an all-weather highway from Crownpoint to Torreon, N. M. via Route N9.
The road surfacing project is in line with Commissioner Bruce's five-point program to accelerate reservation development. An immediate objective is to increase the number and improve the quality of reservation roads.
Eight other bids were received, ranging to a high of $3.1 million.
