Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-06-01
ROAD IMPROVEMENT
SOME POINTS ON BUILDING A GOOD
HIGHWAY.

Essential Features In Constructing
Them-Use of the Roller and Grad
er-Width and Drainage-HOw to
Repair Gravel Roads.
Every good road has two essential
features:
First.-The earth subsoil Is well
drained, naturally or artifcially, max
ing strong, unyielding foundation,
acted upon in the least possible degree
by frost.
SecOnd.-The wearing surface Is a
smooth, hard and compact crust, which
sheds water readily and distributes the
concentrated wheel load over a greater
area of subsoil
The surface covering is generally a
coating of gravel or broken stone,
which should be put on the road in
such way that it will not in wet
weather be churned up and mixed with
the earth beneath-that is. it should
form distinct coating.
To accomplish this the gravel or
broken stone should contain very little
sand or clay-it should be clean.
The roads should be crowned or
rounded in the center, so as to shed the
water to the open drain
Ruts should not be allowed to form,
as they prevent water from passing to
the open drains.
The open drains should have q suffi-
cient fall and free outlet so that the
water will not stand in them but will
be carried away Immediately.
Tile underdrains should be laid wher-
ever the open drains are not sufficient
and where the ground has a moist or
wet appearance, with tendency to alb
sorb the gravel and rut readily. BY
this means the foundation is made dry. |
Do not leave the gravel or stone just
as it drops from the wagon, but spread |
1t SO that travel will at once pass over |
and consolidate it before the fall rains |
commence.
Roll the gravel or stone with road |
roller until it is smooth and hard; 9th
erwise keep the road metal raked or
scraped into the wheel and horse tracks
until consolidated
Grade and crown the earth road be-
fore putting Oh gravel or stone; also
roll the earth road before putting on
the metal if road roller is available
The grader should start work early in
the spring and be kept continuously in
operation until the seasons work Is
Work for the grading ma
chine should be staked out in advance.
80 that each piece can be taken up con-
Secutively: otherwise much time is lost
N moving the machine from one part
,rOwn for gravel roads on level ground
S one inch of rise to each foot of width
rom side to center.
The road Oh hills should have Il
greater crown thnp on level ground
otherwise the water will follow the
Wheel tracks and create deep ruts in.
tead Of passing to the side drains.
)ne and Ope-quarter inches to the foot
rom the side so center will be suff
lent.
Roads Of Importance should be about
wenty-fOur feet In width between the @
lside edges of the open bitches. with e
ne central eight feet graveled or met o
led with broken stone. Roads Of least I
'ayeI should not be less than eighteen o
let I'm width. b
Wherever water stands ON the road Il
'ay or by the roadside or wherever s
he ground remains moist or is swampy {
the spring and fall better drainage v
needed Look over the roads after 4
eavy rains and during spring freshets. s.
he work OF few minutes in freeing n
aims from obstruction or diverting a 81
TRENT of wafer into proper channel oil
ay become the work Of days II neg
cted. Surface water should be dis
'sed Of in small quantities; great &C
mutations are hard 10 handle and cl
g destructive Obtain outlets into n,
tural water courses as often as pos m
BE.
Repair old gravel roads which have ~.
hard center. i.,lt too little crown. and
lich have high. sqaafe shoulders by :,
tting off the shoulders. tufnipg the M
lterial outward across the ditch If nA
cessary and placing new gravel or
ne in the center of the road. DO not vi
yer the Old gravel foundation with az
; mixture of earth. sod and fine oo
vel Of which the shoulders are com 80
'ed. The shoulders can be most
lily cut Off By msaHs Of q grading {
chine. In taking gravel from the n
see that precautions are taken 10 mr.,
W only clean material Gravel which 10
aims perpendicular face in the pit am
spring and showe no trace of slip no,
z is generally fit for use on the road str
hout treatment. Dirty gravel should q &
al,
@ all work with a view to pcrma- cbo
ce ard dqyability.-Severth Annual the
'ort OF Commissioner Of Highways, edp
iriO. Canada ~,
Jet