Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-10-31
ROAD IMPROVEMENT
SOME POINTS BY NAMES COMMlS-
6lONER OF HIGHWAYS.

| SNrPShtehinB the Grade OF n Road.
Importance OF Drainage-Hints on
Highway Repairing.
The first annual report of the de.
partment Of highways Of the state of
Maine has been issued by Commission
Pr Paul ID. Sargent. 1t Is yoluminous
document and contains much Of inter.
est. Here are some interesting ex-
cerpts:
Country roads In general may be i'm
proved in the following ways: By cut
ting out the bushes and grubbing out
the roots. BY Strengthening the grad
ed portion Of the road and taking out
the short, sharp and dangerous cor
ners and curves. By widening the
roads. BY Improving the drainage.
BY cutting down the hills.
There are miles of our country roads
upon which no marked improvement
can be made until the bushes are first
removed. Indeed, the thorough re-
moyal of these bushes would be Of
great value to the roads In allowing the
sun and wind to dry the surface early
In the spring. When bushes are re-
moved the roots should be grubbed out
and both bushes and roots piled neatly
and burned as soon as dry.
Under no circumstances should they
be thrown into the side bitches. back
against the fences or upon adjoining
land. Highway rights of way should
present as neat appearance as do the
railroad rights Of way, and If the above
suggestions are followed In perform
ing this work and a little care taken
in cleaning up after the work Is COM
pleted our roadsides can gradually be
made permanently attractive.
There are In nearly every town
stretches Of road made up Of several
short courses, and before improvement
is undertaken on any Of these, all
short, sharp corners and curves should
be eliminated as far as possible.
Many of our roads present crooked
appearance, when in reality the loca-
ton Is a straight line, the crooks hay
ing been made when the road was
graded to relieve the builders from
grubbing out a stump or removing a
bowlder. If improvement is contem-
plated on a road in this condition, by
all means lei a beginning be made by
Strengthening the grade so that the
finished road will bear the marks Of
good workmanship. By the use Of
few stakes for lining up new work,
road commissioners will, In widening
roads, be able to make use of all of
the old grade and have a good straight
road as a result.
A poorly drained earth road will
wear better If wide than when narrow,
as the traffic will then be more evenly
distributed over the surface, and in |
consequence there will be less liability |
of the traffic forming deep ruts during |
the muddy season. These ruts increase |
In depth rapidly and are exceedingly |
detrimental to any road.
For three or four months In the sum- |
mer season many Of our country roads |
are pleasant roads to travel. During |
the spring and fall, however, these |
same roads are In many instances |
mlres To improve this condition the |
cause must be removed, the water
must be kept away from them and
that which falls on them speedily TAX
en- away. Subdrainage will keep the |
subsoil water away from the road
and proper crown and sur
face drainage will carry away that
which falls upon their surface. We
believe there is no one thing which will
return better results for money ex-
pended on roads than will drainage.
Next to securing perfect drainage at
-entlon should be directed to reducing
steep grades in order that the benefits
lrising from improving other portions
If the road may not be lost by the ina
oillty of teams to haul a full load up
he grades. 1t should be determined
positively that no better route can be
obtained around the hill before money |
s laid out on the hill in permanent i'm
as it will probably be Inn
possible to change the location after
much permanent work has been done.
Cutting off the tops of hills and filling
It the bottom will be the only way of
educing grades where the old location
s followed. One-half Of the road may
,e excavated and scraped out at a time,
eaving the other half for traffic to use.
The worst hill should be treated FIRST
nd completed before work Is begun on
theirs.
In maintaining or repairing the sur
ace of any road, filling depressions
nd ruts material like that composing
be surface should be used In order that
perfect union or bond between the
Id material and the new may be OBJ
aimed and the resulting surface be uni
orm.
No one would think of repairing a
lacadam or crushed stone road with
lay; neither should surface depressIons
r ruts In clay or other earth road be
lied with stone. In the latter case
epression, if filed with stone, will be-
ONE a hard spot, on either side Of
yhich the travel will make a new de-
ression, thus giving two depressions
r mudholes in place of the original
no 1