Research studies are being conducted by the Commonwealth as well as by private agencies for the purposes of developing new uses and increasing markets for coal. Progress in this field would greatly aid the economy of depressed areas of this Commonwealth.

Experiments have been made in the use of coal as a road building material and, if successful and practical, the adoption thereof will result in prosperity for the people in the coal mining areas and the Commonwealth generally.

For the purpose of determining whether a method of using coal as a road building material shall be adopted by the Commonwealth in its vast road building program, the Department of Highways in cooperation with the Coal Research Board in the Department of Mines and Mineral Industries is hereby authorized to pave experimental strips of highway in this Commonwealth in which the new material is used.

The costs and expenses of constructing such experimental strips shall be paid by the Department of Highways out of funds available for highway purposes.