Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-07-27
GOVERNMENT BUILDS
SAMPLE GOOD ROAD
At Seattle and Salem-Josephine
County Could Get Sample
Road for Southern OREGON.

Seattle, July 20-Six miles south OF
this city the government good roads
expert has just completed mile of
mscadamized road to demonstrate
what can and should be done in the
way Of road work in this part of the
country. The result is a beautiful
stretch Of highway, hard and smooth
In surface, and rounding like the cir
cumference of ball. 1t sheds water
as easy as the roof of house, and its
solidity leaves apparently no chance
for the formation Of chuckholes. The
mile of road shown cost approximately
$4,000, that stating the expert, being
the average price for which it can be
constructed in this country. Once
properly built, the cost of repair
work is reduced to a minimum.
The road is built l6 feet wide on
the crown, being little narrow at
the bottom as the sides slopes inward.
A five.inch layer Of crushed rock
from three and quarter to two and
a quarter inches in diameter is laid
on the prepared roadbed and rolled
with 12-ton roller until it is packed
as closely as possible. Before that is
done, however, should there be any
soft places in the roadbed, it is filed
and the entire bed rolled so that all
parts of 1t will support the same
amount of pressure.
The 6ve-inch layer. which is re-
duced somewhat in rolling, is followed
by two and half inch coat of finer
rock, from two and quarter to three
quarter inches In diameter. II is
subjected to similar treatment, and
the surface Of the road is then dressed
and all crevices filled by fine coating
Of rock ranging in size from three
quarters of an inch in diameter to
that Of pea. While the two last
layers are being rolled, the road is kept
constantly wet.
The expert stated that 10 this
country for most roads he believed a
nine-foot macadamized road way,
constructed in that manner, would be
ample for traffic, the natural earth
roadbed ON both sides furnishing op-
portunity for the passage of teams.
A sample section of road is now be-
ing constructed in Marion county near
Salem by the government through its
bureau of good roads. II the effort is
made this Winter it is quite certain
the government would build a section
of macadamized road next Summer fol-
Josephine county. The most avail.
able place for putting in this sample
road is the half.mile Of road through
South Grants Pass from the foot OF
Sixth street at the Rogue river bridge
to the fork where the three roads d.
verge, one to the Illinois Valley, to
Applegate Valley and one up Rogue
river. This section of road is now
one of the worst in the county for in
the Summer it is dust bank with
boulders and chuokholes to add to
its unpleasant features, then in the
Winter il is one mass of mud with
the boulders and chuckholes still
present as profanity provokers and
vehicle wreckers. Most of the home.
seekers, investors and tourists who
visit Grants Pass take a stroll down
to the bridge to see Rogue river.
While on the bridge they have a
nearby and unobstructed view of this
section Of the most travelled highway
in Josephine county and judging it
to be sample of the roads of the
county they are given decided
prejudice against the CITY for having
such road at its boundary and
against the county as proof of its
non -progressiveness. We're this piece
of road model highway it would
give strangers such an opinion of the
county that many would decide to
locate here and it would be such
practical object lesson in the value of
macadamized roads that il would
stimulate the movement all over the
county for better roads and be the
means of starting an era of solid pros.
perity for this section of Rogue
River Valley by attracting the better
class of settlers and of persons who
will make substantial investments.