Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-05-11
WORK ON THE
STATE HIGHWAY

The State Highway between this
CITY and Mausdale is quite rapidly an
preaching completion Most excellen
results in road construction have been
achieved in the couple of weeks that
have elapsed since the work was re-
sumed under George A. Atkinson.
The final course of trap rock has
been applied from the Borough line to
the Fair Ground. The topmost course
ia composed of two inches of ~ inch
stone and one inch of crushed rock.
The road for the above named dis.
tsnce shows up very nicely consider
ing the disadvantages under which the
work is carried forward. The tremend-
ous traffic over the road is a formid-
able obstacle both in the way of pro-
gress and in good results. The amount
Of traffic is a revelation to Mr.. Atkin-
son. although II Is not at all surpris-
ing when one reflects that the travel
on the many roads OF Anthony, Lime
stone, Derry. Valley, Liberty and West
Hemlock townships all converge upon
the single highway, leading from
Mausdale into Danville. 1t was this
heavy traffic together with natural
conditions relating to the roadbed
that made reconstruction under State
aid necessary.
So long as only the first course of
cinder was applied drivers made it a
point to avoid the new road bed wher-
ever possible, but since the fner course
of crushed rock has been in place, Mr.
Atkinson says, the studied effort seems
to be to drive over it as much as posi-
BILE. The result is that in the critical
period between the putting OIL of the
trap rock and the sprinkling and roll
ing which follows, the road is dread
fully cut up, the finer course of crush
ed rock being for long distances mixed
with coorse rock, which has taken the
place of the finer material on the sur
face.
Mr.. Atkinson says in building ma
osdam roads it is generally customary
to exclude travel altogether. That be-
ing impracticable here he is simply
obliged TO do the best that he can.
His company will be put to an expense
not reckoned on in furnishing the
crushed rock required to reooat the
road where it is repeatedly damaged
by driving.
The great secret of road construction
lies In the heavy aud repeated res
sure that 1T Is subjected TO under the
steam roller. Mr.. Rogers roller is
employed on the State Highway. AS
soon as the trap rock is in place on
section of the road it is thoroughly
sprinkled and the roller is run back
wards and forwards over it for day
st time. After few days the pro-
cess is repeated and after another in
terval it is rolled again. and the pro-
cess is never abandoned until the
bOuClcs pun Ou tIIO IOdu'
IL ia the repeated rolling together with
the selection and arrangement of ma
terials that impsrts to the mscadam
road q quality that resists the action
of wagon wheels, however. narrow aud
| is proof against ruts.
On Saturday Mr.. Atkinson was roll
ing the finished section of the high
way for just one-half of the width of
the roadbed. where he had applied a
fresh course OF crushed rock. In this
way he was able to secure very good
results before that part Of the road
was cut up by the wheels. After roll
ing it was observed that where wag
ons drive over the surface little or no
impression was made by the wheels.
The plan of finishing the road by half
width at a time will be adopted from
now on and Mr. Atkinson thinks it
will prove q very good solution of the
difficulty.
1t will require some three weeks to
complete the highway.