Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-10-06
SOME EXPERIMENTAL ROADS.
What is Being Done in Illinois by the
Highway Commission.


The Illinois state highway commits
sion is pushing as rapidly as possible
the construction of a number of ex-
perimental reads in various sections
OF the state. There has been much de
lay In getting this work started. owing
to the negotiations il was necessary to
take up with the various railroads for
freight rates. This has Permitted
work to begin at some points and to
be delayed at others.
One stretch OF read has been com.
pleted at Salem. III. This road is stu
ated in Salem township. just outside
the limits of the city of Salem. The
highway commissioners OF Salem
township applied for broken stone.
which was furnished them. and a piece
OF road built by the local commission
ers; owing TO the lack of proper meth
DDS. the road thus laid was poorly
made. says the Farmers Review. The
state highway commission COMPLETED
about 1920 feet of the work with the
aid OF steam roller and modern
methods Of construction, making as
smooth and fine appearing a piece OF
road as can be found anywhere.
The width Of the macadam is about
II feet and put on eight inches deep:
part OF the work was resurfacing the
road laid by the local commissioners.
al the end OF which was about 600
feet Of newly constructed road. The
exact cost OF this work cannot be as
certained, owing To lack OF records on
the work done prior 70 that under
charge Of the state highway commits
sion. The estimated cost of this work
per mile. including grading and shap-
Ing the subgrade. hauling the stone a
distance OF about a mile and a quar-.
ter, spreading and rolling. is about
$500. The material was furnished
free by the state from the state rock
crushed al the Southern Illinois peni-
tentlary at Menard. The freight on
the stone over the Illinois Southern
railroad was paid in ballast
The contract between the portion
OF road built with the steam roller and
that upon which the roller was not
used. furnishes a most striking illus
tration of the importance OF proper
equipment and technical experience in
highway construction.
The improved piece OF road is at
tracing a great deal OF attention To-
cally, and the travel over other routes
In the vicinity is almost entirely d.
verted 10 the new road. In spite OF the
fact that the distance is thus in
creased.
There is another interesting piece
OF road work In the vicinity of Salem.
which has been carried on through the
efforts OF Mr.. John II. Greene. who
for the past six years has dragged
and kept in excellent condition one
mile of road near his farm. During
the past winter il Is said that the
Greene road was the best piece of
road in the county. This piece Of
road has been kept in better condl-
ton than the average road In the
county for less money than was spent
on other roads where a grader and
four TO six horses are used. Il is an
interesting fact that Mr.. Greene has
been using of and on for the past Is
years. road drag very similar 70
what is known as the split Log
Drag and has done much 10 in
terest the people generally in this
work. and recommends its general
adoption for the maintenance of earth
roads.