Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-02-19
ROAD CONSTRUCTION
The Practical Views of Well-knowr
Citizen of the County

with the following letter, Civ
ing the views of Mr.. Nj. J. Heney, of
the Nooksack Land and Investment
Company, on the subject of road CON
struction. 1t embodies many excel
lent ideas which will be read with in
terest by large number of people who
are now particularly interested in road
construction in this county:
NooKsACK CITY, Wash. Feb. Is, 1892.
G.. X. Larrabee, Esq, Fairhaven,
Washington.
DEAR SIR: In compliance with your
request, | have great pleasure in sub
hitting the following views on the
construction of county roads;
| am satisfied that an excellent sys-
tenn of turnpiked roads can be built
throughout almost every section of the
county. Not only is the cost of build
ing this kind of road from 80 to go per
cent less than that of planked roads
but the annual saving in cost of re-
pairs over the latter would also be an
important item. Right-Of-way tor all
turnplked roads should be Of sufficient
width 10 allow ample space for proper
bitches and roadway. \ width of
sixty feet would almost invariably he
found sufficient for the above purposes.
/ noticed i'm the construction of the
Seattle, Lake Shore a Eastern railway
through the South Fork, main Nook
sack and oumas valleys, a distance OF
twenty-five miles, that sand or gravel
subsoil was almost invariably found at
"a depth below the surface varying
from two to five feet. | believe that
the same subsOil exists throughout
most sections Of the county, and that
bitches having a depth of, say four
feet and bottom width Of three feet,
with side slopes of one and One-hall
horizontal to one foot vertical, would
not only furnish sufficient good mater
ial 10 properly crown and complete the
roadbed ana thus save the additional
cost of graveling, but would also prove
an important factor in draining adj
joining lands.
bitches of above dimensions would
have AN average surface width OF tlt-
teen feet each or a total width of thirty
feet. thus leaving the rOadbed thirty
feet wide; i'm many instances, when
slight elevations would have to be over
come to secure proper drainage, the sur
face width of bitches would be neces'
sarily increased and roadbed narrowed
in proportion.
Where practicable all material should
be handled with horsesand drag scrapers
as by this means the earth IS packed
densely together as il goes INTO the
roadbed. The sediment soil OF the river
bottoms, and even clay, will make d
good road when put up in this manner
and m the proper season, and would
suffer but little from our winter rams
Surveys and all preliminary WORK
should be completed and contracts lei
as early i'm the year rs practicable. Con
tractors should be required to have
their work completed not later than
September l5this would leave the roads
i'm good condition for the fall and win
ter rains. When graveling would be
found necessary it should generally b'
deferred until the following summer
The roadbed would then be thorough!
packed and i'm "a much better condition
10 receive the gravel than when green
Bridges crossing small streams an'
sloughs should not be anilmpOrtan
item AS round cedar logs can be Target.
used in their construction thus making
permanent and inexpensive work.
/ am satisfied that the best result
could be obtained 10y the board of couu
ty commissioners appointing practi
cal civil engineer zone who has ha'
charge of railway construction in thi
country to lay out and superintend tn
building ofthOse roads. We would il
this way secure a road system at tn
lowest possible cost compatible wit
good work An approximate estimat
of the average cost per mile leXclusiv
of bridges OF a road system rs aboN
outlined would be as follows:
Clearing, including grubbing for ditch.
Grading rad loo cubic yards a il cents
Farm R1i crossings, four per mile, a $50
Engineering. including surveys and
superinteuding.... .-.-....... .......... II
Total. ....................... $40
The above estimate is in excess
that allowed by the commissioners {,
most of the proposed roads, but | b'
lieve that if they are properly col
structed the average cost will not
less than $1,000 per mile. The pr
posed bridges crossing the NOOksaC
river are most important features. III
various crossings should be careful
selected by competent engineer. III
estimates seem very low for bridges C
Dable of successfully resisting the lar
quantities of logs and driftwoOd a
nually brought down 10y the eXtren
floods. / think the cost of the a
- proaches to those bridges has bee
omitted by the board in their estimate
Those approaches would require to
from 500 to 500 feet in length al
would cost approximately $3.50 each,
a total for each bridge of 81 500.
The above estimates are based
several years experience as an engine
and also more particularly as railwi
contractor i'm this county, rs | ha
by this latter means had an opportu
ity of knowing the cost of such wor
! am yours most respectfully,
NJ. J. HENEY.
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS