Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-30
MEADOW ROAD WORK
DETAILS OF A SUCCESSFUL EXPERT
MENT IN NEW JERSEY.
How an Engineer Built q Highway
That Was Topped Several Times by
Storm Tides, but Withstood Them
Splendfdly.

HOW an Engineer Built q HIGHWAY
That Was Topped Several Times by
Storm Tides, but Withstood Them
splendidly.
Stillwell II. Townsend, the engineer
who was asked by the board of free
holders of Cape May county, y. j., to
prepare plans for the building of a
state aid road across the meadow from
Rio Grande to Holly Beach. thus tells
In the Good Roads Magazine how the
new road was constructed:
AS we had no thought of elevating
above storm tides, the prominent idea
to be kept in view was the use of ma
terials that would stand the wash. The
route to be followed had been aban-
doned about fifteen years. Previous to
that time 1t had been used for a few
years as a means of travel to and from
the Five Mile beach. When this was
built about one half of the distance
was laid crosswise with cedar slabs.
the other half with small poles and
then a very light coat of upland soil.
AS a means of securing n foundation
large gum trees, with two opposite
sides flattened, were laid lengthwise.
One was placed in the center, the other
two about under the wheel ruts. Across
these were laid poles about three inches
in diameter at the small end, the space
between the stringers having first been
filed with mud. Over the ends of the
poles at each side were placed curb
planks by 6 inches. These p1anks
were securely fastened, edge up, TO
cedar piles driven six feet into the
meadow and projecting four feet above
the pIanks. These same plaaks were
placed eight feet from the center line,
thus giving us Il sixteen foot driveway.
A mud bank was carefully thrown up
on each side against the outside of the
planks and thoroughly compacted. The
meadow grass grows through this,
making il more secure. \ line of mud
about two feet wide was placed on the
inside of the planks and compacted.
thus making an almost water tight
trough. The remaining space between
the curb planks was filled with upland
soil to a level with the outside planks.
Over this soil we used oyster shells,
three bushels to the square yard, 81
coo bushels in all. Over the shells be-
fore they were ground up was spread
q coat of good gravel. This gave us
an elevation of about fourteen inches
above the highest meadow passed over
and above tides except very severe
northeast storms. 1t has been topped
several times since it was completed
by storm tides, but it has withstood
them beyond all expectations.
One mistake was made in not giving
the road more crown before the shells
were spread. 1 consider shells one of
the best materials that can be used on
meadow roads. with just enough gravel
to bind them together. They will thus
withstand any amount of wash.
4 year ago last October we began
the rebuilding of the Beesiey's Point |
and Ocean City turnpike, 1.15 miles
across salt meadow. There had been
road on this same route for about
twenty years During that time all but
1000 feet of il had been poled three
times. Large trees bad been cut and
laid lengthwise and poles nine feet
long laid across them, butting in the
middle. In some places this construc
ton had settled four feet.
In constructing this road only 1873
feet were repoled. This was done by
placing six pine tree stringers length |
wise and poles nine feet long cross |
wise over them. butting in the middle.
We placed a double curb plank on each |
side the entire length Of the meadow |
road In the following manner: Curb !
planks by 6 inches were placed eight :,
feet each side Of the center line, Sc
curely fastened to cedar posts driven
four feet into the old roadbed. -Four
feet beyond this curb (outside the old |
roadbedD were placed 2 by IS inch curb
planks, securely fastened to cedar
piles, driven eight feet into the mead
ow and projecting four feet above the
top of the planks. The inner posts and
outer piles were securely tied together;
the four foot space between the curb
plank was filled with mud and thor
oughly compacted by ramming and aft
er settling again filed and rammed.