The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-28
RAPIDLY PAVING HIGHLAND AvENU. Improvements Will be Gen. pIeted Early This Fall CREOSOIED BLO LOCK PROCtS When Completed Highland Avenue Promises to Be One of the Finest
 Driveways In the
 South.
CREOSOIED BL OCK PROCtS 5

Rapid progress is being made on the , work of paving Highland avenue. The thoroughfare is being paved with bitumin- ous macadam and with creosoted wooden blocks. The former material is being used from point near Popular Springs, which is the eastern limits of Birmingham, to the Woodward property or Maiden Lane. Creosoted wooden blocks are being used from Maiden Lane to Twentieth street. Both contractors have large force or men at work ID order that the avenue may be opened for its length in the early fall.
 The Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company has rebuilt its line the en- tire length of the improvements New crossties and heavy rails supplanted the old ties and the light rail From Maiden Lane to Popular Springs there Is almost a continuel esplanade. This will remain. The plots have been sodded, and later shade trees will probably be planted. Al though this will narrow tine driveway con- siderably, 1t will be a step towards beau- tifying what is Birminghams fashionable avenue for driving.
 Are working WestWaruiy.
 The Southern Bithulithic company of Nashville Is laying the bituminous macadam The Crockett Paving company has the contract for paving that part of the avenue which will have creosoted wooden blocks. Both contractors are working westwardly and the former firm has completed about one-fourth of it's entire contract.
 Creosoted wooden block pavement is something new in Birmingham and a number of interested citizens and prop erty-owners have for the past ten days or two weeks observed the progress of the work. The blocks are shipped here from Louisiana. They are mace of pine and are about the size of a vitrified brick. A specified amount of creosote is pressed into each block before 1t leaves the kiln. and every block is inspected on arriving in Birmingham.
 The paving process is quite interesting. First the avenue to be paved is graded down to a certain point. Then it is thor oughly rolled by a heavy steam road ma- chine Four inches of concrete is laid as a foundation On top of this an inch of cement mortar is spread and the blocks are then set in this.
 Blocks Carefully Inspected.
 After the blocks are laid an inspector goes oyer the work carefully, and when ever he discovers a flaw of any kind the block is marked Two men follow him and replace the defective blocks with perfect ones. Sand is then spread on the blocks and this Is swept fin between the sides and ends of the blocks.
 For the preent the contractors are only laying the blocks between the rails of the double track street car line. When this part of the contract is completed 1t will be used as a temporary driveway. Then the excavating will be done on both sides of the tracks. By this plan the avenue will never be entirely closed. even while the paving is in progress. About 26O yards of the block paving can be laid in a day.
 Considerable bituminous macadam has been laid in Birmingham. Work will begin within two weeks on Twentieth street from Avenue B to Avenue H, which will be paved with bituminous macadam. n@.