The midland journal., 1907-03-22
MARYLAND's ROAD WORK.
State Engineer Crosby Tells OF 1t
At plttsburg Convention.

state highway Englneer We w. Srosoy
read paper before the American Road
( makers convention, in session at Pitts
burg last week, on Blazing the Way In
Maryland" of which the following are
| extracts:
Estate aid began in 1904 by the pass
age of an act providing additional powers
and duties for the Geological Survey.
Uuder this act an appropriation of $780,
900 annually is placed at the disposal of
those counties which will complete in any
year, under the provisions ofthe act, such
a mileage of modern roads acceptable to
the State as they are willing to pay half
the cost of.
1--WE have been hindered in this work
both in 1905 and 1906 by an unusual
amount of rainy weather during those
seasons when ordinarily the most work
on the roads is done. To date, however,
we have completed 40 miles of modern
road at cost, on an average, of less than
$4,000 mile, and unfinished contracts are
1 CAkduI 1O1 ~ AAilCo mOACs ~ 10 AGAt a
start has been made. Applications are
on file for IT'S miles additional. AS soon
as the first mile was actually completed
and an object lesson was available the
usual result-the cry for 'more'-followed.
"We have all sorts of conditions to
meet in actual construction. Possibly
they are more varied than in most States.
We have the sand and clay of the East
ern Shore, the noncementing gravel of
Southern Maryland and the rocks and
clay of the western portion of the State.
zontal to vertical The climate is noted
for its variety and its agility in changing.
In short, conditions throughout the State
are diverse and, taken as whole. prob
ably less favorable to easy constructing of
permanent roads than in many other
parts of the country. Generally our roads
not only do not get respite from wear
during the winter. but on the contrary the
demands on them are far more severe and
constant during that season, when natural
conditions are most unfavorable for sue.
cessful resistance to those demands.
"Of the 90 miles of completed road, 81
miles have been of inch trap rock or
limestone macadam; Az miles of gravel
first course, with lime stone surface, and
~ miles of oystershelled road.
1.-The average cost per mile of all of
| these has been $4,000, exclusive of super
vision, but, of course, including all grad
ing, culvert and bridge work. The width
of the macadam is usually IL feet, in some
cases IA, and on the shell roads 10. The
average cost square yard of the stone or
stone. gravel macadam alone has been 62
cents; of the shell macadam alone, 484
cents. or &,376 and $2,54S a mile,
respectively.
"Several years ago the commission in
vestigated the cost of the old turnpikes of
the State. There are about 500 miles of
these, in all sorts and condition-some
bad and abandoned, others comparing
very favorably with any in the country.
1t was found difficult to secure accurate
figures in all cases, but the result of the
investigation showed that the average
cost of these pixies had been about 5000
a mile. These figures must be understood
as prevailing at a time when not only
were labor and materials cheaper than at
present, but also when frequently free
contributions of both were made by
ueighbors in order to secure the con-
struction of such roads in their locality.
"Some opposition to State aid to county
roadbuilding has presented itself in those
sections where, perhaps, the turnpikes
now are in The best condition and most
fourishing. One or two counties are
quite efficiently traversed by toll roads
and the opposition has expressed itself
against the construction by the State and
county of such roads as will compete with
these existing enterprises,
Such opposition is historical and must,
of course, be anticipated. However, / |
believe that the day of toll roads in
Maryland is past.
In the meantime, I suggest that the
counties, with the assistance of the State,
improve the main feeders of the pixies and !
such other main roads as are needed to
meet the public demands not satisfied by |
the pixies themselves The general de- !
mands of the public will be in this way
most quickly aud satisfactorily met, and
the turnpikes not only will not be injured
but their value actually increased to their
owners as well as to the general public
II the entrances and exits to the pixies (
leading to and from railroad stations, etc.,
were put in 6rst-class condition. then the
question of abolishing the tolls would i
logically follow Immediately.
Ft~