Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-08-25
VIEW OF IMPROVED AMERICAN ROAD.
From Good Roads.]

VIEW OF IMPROVED AMERICAN ROAD.
From Good Roads.l
Consul Roosevelt gives these details Of
the character, duration and cost of the
pavements: Porphyry, from quarries at
Quenast and Lessines, estimated dura-
ton Is years; sandstone, from quarries
years; No. 4, from the vicinity of the
rivers Ourthe and Meuse, estimated du-
ration 40 years; limestone, no longer &C
copied by the city government, estimat-
ed duration IS years.
Porphyry, per square yard, $50 francs
($1.93); sandstone, per square yard, $50
to $50 francs Gs1.64 to $1.S3); asphalt,
from Val de Travers, per square yard,
II francs (s3.2D; wood on concrete foun-
dalton, per square yard, II francs (s2.12).
The two last named pavements are high
ly esteemed and much employed on the
boulevards.
There are three sorts of roads in Bel
GUM, the dimensions of which are fixed
as follows:
Government Roads-Width of roadway, 5
yards 20 inches; width Of sidewalk, 2 yards 8
inches; width of ditch, three-fourths yard.
Provincial Roads-Width of roadway, 5
yards 20 inches; width Of sidewalks, 2 yards q
inches; width of ditch, three-fourths yard.
Communal Roads-Width of roadway, 4
yards 16 inches; width of sidewalk and ditch, l
yard "A inches.
These roads are paved with native porphyry
and sandstone of following dimensions: Seven
by 81 inches, 81 by 51s inches, 51a by AZ inches,
~ by 3@ by 81a by Z inches AZ by 99 by by
51a inches. Curbstone, 30 by Is inches each side
Of road.
The cost of constructing road for fire.
quent and heavy traffic is $1.49 per
square yard. This allows 3 cents for
preparing a bed 10 inches deep, 8 cents
for the ashes, which cost 80 to 40 cents
per cubic yard, cents for labor and
$1.31 for the paving stones, which are st
by 81 inches. If rough stone and layer
of broken stone or pebbles are substitute
ed, the two cost only 81 cents, and the to-
tai per square yard becomes 374 cents.
For maintenance the cost per yard of
country roads is cents, which becomes
6 cents near industrial districts and from
to 10 near sugar factories. Mr.. Roose-
Welt gives this account of the annual in
spection and repair:
1900 or 5000 yards Of pavement are taken up
and replaced by new material. On roads de-
voted to heavy traffic paving stones by 61s
inches employed. as also on inclines aver
aging less than three-fourths of an inch per
yard. On inclines averaging more than three
fourths of an inch per yard stone 81 by 51e or
heavy oblong stones 434 by 31s by S16 by are
employed. Where the soil is very firm sand
stone blocks Z by 814 inches are preferred,
which, with heavy oblong stones, are also used
on inclines according to declivity. Satisfactory
drainage is produced by depositing deep bed
of ashes prior to placing pavement. On roads
of light traffic blocks 4a4 by AZ inches are used
on the level, while AZ by 31a and 61s by 5inches
are employed on inclines.
Contract for keeping roads in repair is by
public bid and is awarded to lowest bidder for
a term of three years, the average cost of re-
pairs to roadways yards 20 inches wide as
follows: Porphyry blocks, per square yard, 6
cents; sandstone, per square yard, cents.
New York Sun.