The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-04-30
WILL TRY
BITUMEN
With New
Paving VIII Be
Made.


Bitumen pavements are to be gi'sen
thorough experiment on Honolulu
streets Queen and Fort streets. where
the traffic is the heaviest. are to be
paved with bitumen, and if the ex-
pertinent is a success other streets win
be treated in the same way as soon.
as the government is financially able
to do SO.
supt. Holloway has asked for bids for
paving Queen street between Fort and
Alakea streets and also Fort street
from Queen to Merchant. The blocks
selected are much used by heavy way
ons, and Road Supervisor johnson who
viii have charge of the work, believes
that if these streets stand the heavy
traffic as they are warranted to do,
the experiment can be safely made in
other sections of the city The chief
objection to bitumen in the past has
been the fact that it is easily heated,
but the argument used in favor of it,
is that the street does not become
permanently soft, but any ruts made
by the wheels of a heavily loaded cart
are Strengthened out by the next pass
ing vehicle. Bitumen is used in many
cities of the east where the heat is
often more intense than that of Homo
lulu. While the first cost is much
in excess Of the cost OF macadam, the
material also outlasts the present
street paving. Macadam has to be
renewed every few years while the
bitumen will last for ten or fifteen
years. it is claimed. Repairs to the
bitumen can also be more easily made.
as in case of holes being worn in
the pavement, it is only necessary to
fill them with the heated material and
then 70 roll with hot roller.
The road department. is now engaged
in constructing new crossings on the |
down town streets. These also are of
and the contract for their
construction is in the hands of Lord |
& Belser at twenty-four cents square |
foot. New crossings have already been |
put in at the intersection Of Fort and |
King streets, and as the road gang |
continues it's repairs of city streets /
the new bitumen crossings will be |
made. Road Supervisor Johnson be-
lieves that these viii be a great i'm |
over the present crossings.
Now, during a rain storm, gangs of |
men are sent to all parts of the city |
to build temporary einder crossings,
which are often washed out almost as
soon as they are constructed. The /
new crossings are permanent and will |
10 away with the necessity for con- /
slant construction work during rain
storms. They are built on a. six-inch
concrete foundation which is. covered
With two inches of bitumen, applied 7
While it is hot. The crossings are four
eet across, and built with a crown
Grade, they offer no obstruction to
'assing wagons, and at the same time,
hey are always drained. The first
.ost of the crossing is greater than
he old method of putting in cinders,
ut they are paid for easily from the
und now used in Keeping crossings in
epair.
Daily reports are now made by SUI
ervisor Johnson to the superintendent
{ Public Works, and the road depart
lent is being conducted at about one
bird of its previous cost. The cost of
lacadamizing which is being carried
n in all parts of the city has been
realty Iessened. The macadam re-
emily put down ON King street was
t a cost of only two and half cents
square foot.