Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-04-12
Pr NNSYLNANIt ROADS.
How Highvuy% Are Constructed In
A!l"Ehnn, county.

The highways Of A!la hauy county
are supervised by practical engineer
Of wiae experience + W Patterson,
ssribel IN tlr pj5i,1Urg Press.
The tTau>tarMl.g OF tie lad roads Of
this II 'Cnta!aCu- comfy info good ones
Was begun i'll September, 1891, and as
result IA miles are completed and in
use aud about 20 miles are now in
course # construction The traveller or
casual Observer passing over one of these
new roads has little idea CT the amount
Ct material and labor required to pro,
duce the hard, smooth surface and the
easy grade
The method Of construction adopted
for these roads is hat il known as mac.
adamizlng, that system Of building be-
Ing best adapted to the highways of
this county. The surface Of the road
does not indicate its substantial quail
ties, as it is much like any smooth road
would appear under favorable circum-
stances. except that it is carefully
crowned in the center and rounds so
nicely into the clay road on either side
that were it not for the difference in the
color it would he difficult to tell Just
where the macadamized portion began
This statement is applicable only when
the clay portion is at its best, neither
rough, muddy nor dusty. 1t is under
unfavorable circumstances that the
macadamized road stands pre-, eminent
Continued wet weather does not affect
it in the least, and long drought only
produces thin blue dust on the surface
caused by the grinding Of the ligonier
screenings under the wheels Of passing
vehicles.
The standard construction adopted for
the Allegheny county roads is as fol-
lows: After the road has been graded,
sloped and guttered an excavation is
made in the center ii feet wide and
sufficiently deep 10 bring the surface
when completed IS inches above the
surface Of the cutters, to provide q
crown, in order that the water may be
shed rapidly The bottom of this exca-
walton is then rolled with ten ton
steam roller. Eight inches Of native
stone. broken to 81 inches in diane
ter, is filled in and the roller again ap-
piled. If the ground be low or soft, tel
ford foundation is substituted for thu
broken stones On this is a LAYER Of
ligonier stone, crushed to 21a inches in
diameter. which is also rolled Then
comes another layer Of the same mate
rial, but Of smaller size, IL inches
thick, which serves to key the larger
stone. The roller is again brought into
requisition.
The whole is finished with layer Of
fine ligonier screenings, which fill the
interstices and form a smooth surface.
This is wet and rolled firm. When used
for time, it becomes so hard that it is
almost like concrete. The road engineers
adopted the foregoing as the standard
construction for all the country roads
improved, after a careful study of the
methods employed by road builders both
in this country and abroad. The Is
miles OF road now completed have cost
the country on an average $l2, 900 per
mile, which, when the enormous cuts
and fills made necessary to reduce the
grade in many places arerconsidered. is
not excessive. The cost Of grading alone
has averaged nearly Sc, 900 a mile
This, OF course, varies according to the
physical and topogra phical character of
the country through which the road
passes.