The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-09-21
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 number OF eN-
pcrimental roads In various sections
Of the state There has been much de-
lay in getting this work started, owing
to the negotiations 1t 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 road has been com
pleted at Salem, ILL., This road is stu
atcd 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 n piece
NJ road built by the local commission.
ors; owing to the lack Of proper moth
DDS, the road thus laid was poorly
made, says the Farmers Review. The
state highway commission completed
about 200 feet of the work with the
aid Of steam roller and modern
methods of construction. making rs
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 rosurfacing the
road laid by the local commissioners.
at the end of which was about GOO
feet of newly constructed road The
exact cost Of This work cannot be as.
ccrtaincd, owing to lack of records on
the work done prior to that under
charge of the state highway commits
sion The estimated cost of this work
per mile. including grading and shap
/ ing the subGradc hauling the stone 9
distance of about a mile and quar-
| ter spreading and rolling, is about
/ $1,000 The material was furnished
I free by the state from the state rock
crushed AT the Southern Illinois pcni.
Tertiary at Mcnard Tho freight on
| the stone over the Illinois Southern
I 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
/ hiEhway construction
The improved piece of road is at
tracing great deal of attention 10
cally. and the travel over other routes
In the vicinity Is almost entirely di
verted to tho new road. in spite of the
sact 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 MIR, John H. 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 It is said that The
Greene road was the best piece o
road In the county This piece o
road has been kept in better cOudi
ton than the average road in thu
county for less money than was spen
on other roads where Il grader anC
four to six horses are used. It Is ar
interesting fact that Mr. Greene has
been using off and on for the past /,
years. Il road drag very similar {,
what is known as the Split Lol
Drag and has done much to In
terest the people generally In thii
work. and recommends its genera
adoption for ;he maintenance of eartl
roads.