The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-12-01
Road Building In Maryland.

i since the "SnOemaker tCoOO NOduS
Law" became operative last March, the
Highway Division of the Maryland Geo
logical Survey Commission has made
surveys on over 100 miles and furnished
estimates for seventy-three miles of road.
The total estimated cost for these seventy.
three miles was $457, 2oo 81, or an average
cost of $6256. Sc per mile. The
total amount under construction at the
present time is thirty-nine miles. On this
the contracted cost is $2o8, I18.9o. or an
average of $5348 72 per mile. reduction
of somewhat over nine hundred dollars
per mile on the estimated cost. 1t must
be remembered in this connection that
in almost every instance where the coun
ties have applied for aid on roads, it was
on those roads most difficult to construct
and which has cost them the most in the
past, or on roads which at the time of the
application were in the worst possible
condition. When the foregoing figures
are compared with the cost per mile dur
ing the first few years of State Aid in
Massachusetts and New Jersey the COM
parison is very favorable to Maryland.
For instance, the cost per mile in New
Jersey averaged over $1,000, while in
Massachusetts, it ranged from $1,000 to
$4,000.
One criticism that has been made here
in Maryland is that the cost of macadam
roads is too great to warrant the expense.
For the purpose of disproving this state
ment it will be desirable to take some
specific pieces of work and analyze the
expense items. Take the Bedford Road
in Allegany county, where the cost comes
nearest to the average contracted cost for
the whole State.
In the first place, in properly grading
and building up the roadbed it was found
necessary to move twenty-six hundred
yards of earth on hill where. there was
very steep grade, at a cost of $500. To
a casual observer in horse and buggy
the old steep grades did not mean much.
but to the farmer with loads to haul they
meant great deal. Now it is found that
one horse can haul load up the present
graded hill that formerly required two
horses to haul. IN other words, the same
horsepower will haul twice the load over
the improved road.
At another place along the road a
springy locality was encountered. This
required gao feet of underdrain which
cost $2S.6o. Ordinarily the inexperienced
road builder dumps in extra stone at such
places and it is estimated that such
method would have cost $I2o.
A third item was that of "riprapping"
a bad slope TO prevent future washing,
which cost $50. The masonry to protect
the ends of drains cost $Is5. 65. The next
item is that of stone. On mile of twelve
foot macadam there are 7o4o square yards
of stone surface, requiring a2oo tons of
broken stone. This costs in Allegany
county about $I.25 per ton, including
or total of $a75o.
1t will be seen that the major cost is for
the macadam. Is it possible to reduce
this cost? The Maryland Highway
specifications call for finished road with
q six inch thickness of macadam after
rolling. This necessitates spreading the
the stone about eight inches thick before
rolling. To those who are accustomed to
a great thickness of stone. such as was
put down on the old fashioned "pikes,"
this may seem thin. 1t should be re-
membered, however, that the theory of q
good macadam road is to build good
foundation, properly drained. The mac
adam is simply the roof to keep out the
moisture and take the wear of wheels and
horses hoofs. The foundation supports
the load. Unusual pains are taken with
this foundation. No inacadam is put on
until the foundation is properly prepared.
as it is found to be far cheaper to spend
money on the foundation and economic
on the stone.
In the foregoing case. where the stone
cost S27so, the rolling, spreading. water
ing. etc., including the contractors profit,
brought the total cost of the macadam up
to $3.50, the total of the cost per mile,
less the grading. pipes. etc. Under the
old method of road construction. with no