The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-10-10
MAKING GOOD ROADS.

The deep interest that is being taken
in the subject of roadmaking indicates
that the people are beginning to under
stand the importance of good roads in
the social economy of farming COM
munity. But little has been done in the
way of building improved highways in
this state as compared with some others;
and probably one reason that has tended
to discourage the building of improved
roads as much as any other cause has
been the lack of provision in the laws
by which they could be built scientific.
ally and maintained in an economical
and competent manner.
There can be no two opinions as to
the necessity Of providing better high
ways throughout. The state is perhaps
no worse off IN this respect than are
some of her sister states, and is certainly
much better off than some of them; but
in this respect the United States is far
behind European countries. In Europe
the principles of good road building, as
laid down by Thomas Telford and John
Macadam, have been understood for
nearly a century. These two great en-
gineers rebuilt nearly all the English
roads in the present century, and their
work proved of suchlsubstantial char
acter that the principles laid down by
them are still followed both in Europe
and America, These men gave their
names to systems of road buildings, and
telford roads and macadamized roads
are familiar to everybody.
Macadamized roads are now every
where constructed on substantially the
same principles. There is difference of
opinion among road engineers as TO the
utility of the telford foundation; but
most authorities prefer to build without
it, merely laying the broken stone, tech
nically known as the road metal, upon
the earth. This makes a more elastic
road.
In building a macadamized road from
a common dirt road it is essential that
the surface should be scraped or excava-
ted in order to give good foundation
to the LAYER of broken stone. The earth
is then thoroughly rolled in order to
compact it and prevent the broken stone
from sinking too deeply in the soft earth.
II the telford foundation is used the
stones, which are from six to eight
inches in size, are set in position on The
rolled earth and covered with six inch
layer of macadam metal, broken so as
to pass through ~ inch ring. This
is then rolled with a steam boiler.
When it is found that the metal will not
yield to the roller the bed is ready for
another layer Of stone, which should be
six inches deep in the center, sloping to
the sides, and again compactly rolled.
A top dressing of fine broken stone, us
ually the screenings from a crusher, and
not exceeding three-fourths OF an inch
in largest dimensions, is spread over the
road to a depth of two inches. A steam
roller will compact these screening to
smooth surface, and the road is ready
for travel. The rolling is facilitated and
greater compactness secured If the stone
is thoroughly sprinkled. Unless a great
volumn Of traffic is to pass oyer the road,
it is not necessary TO have the metal a
foot thick, depth eight inches being
sufficient for ordinary travel.
The shape to be given the road surface
has been a subject of much discussion.
In order to get good watershed, an
essential to long wear, many roads have
been made so rounding in the center as
10 be uncomfortable to vehichles. 1t is
now generally conceded that the cross
section should be curve and that the
height of a road should be one-slxtieth
of its width, thai IL, road-bed thirty
feet wide should be six inches higher in
the center than at the sides. To macad
amized one mile Of road 80 feet wide
and inches thick in the center requires
about $500 tons OF stone.