The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1906-07-13
PROGRESS OF STATE ROAD WORK,

The Highway Division Of the Maryland
Geological survey has issued the follow
ing bulletin.
Various causes have prevented the
commencement of as many new road
contracts this year, as had been begun
at corresponding date last year, one
of the principal causes being the lack of
properly equipped contractors, not at
present busy.
1.-The Highway Division of the Mary
land Geological Survey has been actively
engaged in making surveys and prepar-
ing plans and estima ties for contemplated
road improvements all over the state,
and in supervising large amount of
road improvements now under way.
The following stretches of road are now
under construction or are nearing COM
pletion. Allegany county, three miles.
Baltimore county seven miles, Carroll
county, one and one half miles, Frederick
county. three miles, Hartford county, six
miles, Howard county, one mile, Mont
gomery county, five and one-half miles,
Washington county, two miles, Worces-
ter county, one mile, a total of thirty
miles.
Exclusive of the misunderstanding
ton highway, surveys have already been
made this year on about forty miles of
road, in response to applications from
twenty of the twenty-thrcc counties in
the states and detailed plans and esti-
mates have been furnished on about
twenty miles. In addition, surveys.
plans and estimates, have been made on
about ten miles, between Contee and
Waterloo, of the Baltimore Washington
| road.
bids are now being asked for the con-
structIon of this road, according to the
plans on file in the office of the Commits
sion. From these plans it is seen that
the work planned for this summer, and
for which the appropriation of $4,000
for 1906 is available, consists of reducing
present grades, where they are over six
per cent. to maximum of six feet in a
hundred; of replacing all bridges and
culverts not in good condition, with
modern permanent structures. and the
addition of such further culverts and
bridges as may be found necessary; of
widening the travel way to at least
twenty four feet in its narrowest part;
and of the construction of a modern
watertight stone surface of crushed trap
(Niggerhead) rock, carefully spread and
thoroughly rolled making a smooth even
surface, and comparable with the best
results in other states.
ut is estimated that because of the
unusual difficulties i'll these first ten miles,
such for example, as the necessity, in
order to secure permanent roadway,
of making a heavy fill from the bridge
Just north of Laurel to the town, and the
installation in this ill of good sized con-
crete culvert, that the average cost OF
this work will be approximately $1,000
per mile 1t is hoped, however, that by
the use of convicts at the House of Cor
rection, as provided for by the Act, to be
able to keep the cash expenditure below
these figures. If further developments
offer any opportunity for reducing the
cost still further, the Commission will
of course, not be slow to take advantage
of them.
at is expected that the successful bid
!, ders will push the work as rapidly as
possible, in order that as long section
as possible will be finished this year
The roads built under state supervision
up to this time, have apparently giver
the greatest satisfaction. Places where
two winters ago. an empty Dayton
wagon was stalled" and which were
improved under the shoemaker Law
last year, have successfully withstoot
| even the heaviest hauling through TIL
| winter 1905 6, often to the great surpris
of the local residents.
Some criticism has, of course, beer
made, but it has invariably been prove'
: to be unfounded. or simply criticisms o
r failure of work unaccep,ed by the Stat
!, and still in the contractors hands, and
consequently, not ready for the strain
e to which it was subjected during tn
j winter. Much Of the work in 1905 wa
= begun so late that the contractors di
. not finish it before the arrival of the wiz
ter season, and this unfinished work su
Il fered more or less through the winter
Il Not understanding the situation, man
=. were inclined to criticise the work of tn
state as whole from the results OF anil
= spection of some unfinished work.
S 1T is hoped the experience of the col
r, tractors last year will show them the az
If vantages of keeping the work better
hand and that less unfinished work ma
u hereafter be left to go through he wint'
& months"