The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-09
RICHMOND, VA :.

necessary TO enlarge on this subject in
order to convince the average reader
that good roads reduce the resistance to
trafc. and consequently the cost OF trans
portation of products and goods to and
from farms and markets is reduced to a
minimum.
The initial cost of a road depends upon
the cost of materials, labor, machinery,
the width and depth to which the ma
terial is to be spread on, and the method
of construction. All these things vary so
much in the different States that it is i'm
possible to name the exact amount for
which a mile of a certain kind of road
can be built.
The introduction in recent years of i'm
proved road building machinery has en-
abled the authorities in some OF the
States to build improved stone and gravel
roads quite cheaply. First class single
track stone roads, feet wide have been
built near Canandaigua, n. Y, for 5000
TO 81 900 per mile. Many excellent gravel
roads have been built in New Jersey for
81, 600 to $1,000 per mile. The material
of which they were constructed was
placed on in two layers, each being raked
and thoroughly rolled, and the whole
mass consolidated to a thickness of
inches In the same State macadam
roads have been built for $4,000 TO $4,000
per mile, varying in width from 8 TO 30
feet and in thickness of material from 4
TO II inches. Telford roads IA feet wide
and 10 to IL inches thick have been built
in New Jersey for 1000 to $4,000 per
mile Macadam roads have been built at
Bridgeport and Fairfield, Conn, is to 20
feet wide. for $1,000 to $1,000 per mile.
A telford road 16 feet wide and II inches
thick was built at Fanwood n. j., for
SO 800 per mile. Macadam roads have
been built in, Rhode Island, 16 to 20 feet
wide, for $4,000 to $4,000 per mile.
Massachusetts roads are costing all
the way from $4,000 to $4,000 per mile.
mile of broken stone road, Is feet
wide, costs in the State of Massachu-
sets about $500 per mile, while a mile
of the same width and kind of road costs
in the State of New Jersey only $4,000.
This is due partly to the fact that the
topography of Massachusetts is some
what rougher than thaa of New Jersey,
necessitating the reduction of many steep
grades and the building of expensive re-
tanning walls and bridges. and partly to
!
and the difference in prices of materials,
labor. etc.
Doubtless the State of New Jersey is
building more roads and better roads for
less money per mile than any other
State in the Union. Their roads are now
costing from 20 to 20 cents per square
yard. Where the telford construction is
used they sometimes cost as much as 73
cents per square yard. The average cost
of all classes of the roads of that State
during the last season was about so
cents per square yard. The stone was,
as a rule, spread on to a depth of 8
inches, which, after rolling, gave depth
of about s inches. At this rate single
track road feet wide costs about $2,346
per mile, while a double-trac road II
feet wide costs about "a ,106 per mile, and
one Is feet wide costs about Sc, $50 per
mile. here the material is spread on so
as TO consolidate to n 4-inch layer the
S-fcot road will cost about LIB per
mile, the 14-fOot road about S2053 per
mile. while the one IS feet wide will cost
about $3.50 per mile.
The total cost Of maintaining roads in
good order ranges, on account of varying
conditions, between as wide limits almost
as the initial cost OF construction. Suffice
it 10 say that all money spent on re-
pairing earth roads becomes each year
total loss without materially improving
improving their condition. They are, as
rule. the most expensive roads that
can be used, while on the other hand
stone roads, if properly constructed of
good material and kept in perfect condi-
ton, are the most satisfactory the
cheapest and most economical roads
that can be constructed
CONCLUSION
The road that will best suit the needs
of the farmer, in the first place, must not
be too costly and in the second place,
must be of the very best kind, for farm
ers should be able to do their heavy haul
ing over them when their fields are too
wet to work and their teams would other
wise be idle.
The best road for the farmer, all things
being considered is a solid, well-buiIt
stone road, so narrow as to be only a
single track, but having a firm earth
road on one or both sides Where the
traffic is not very extensive the purposes
of good roads are better served by mar
row tracks than by wide ones, while
many of the Objectionable features OF
wide tracks are removed, the initial cost
of construction is cut down one-haH or
more, and the charges for repair re-