The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1908-05-21
A MAINE ROAD,

Ia thln deposit or gravel. used In road
building, Is exposed In the ditch on the
left.l
example, our area Is within 300 SQUARE
miles Of eQualing that Of all the Other
New England states. Our population
Is about 30 per cent more than that OF
the city Of Boston and our valuation
about one-tenth that Of Massachusetts
In the matter Of valuations l might
say that we have only sixty three cities
and towns in the state which have q
valuation Of $1OOO,0OO. We have 900
towns with valuation less than $3.50.
GOO each, and three-fourths Of all our
towns are less than 100000 In valua.
ton. In many Of our towns, especially
the smaller ones, highway taxes alone
run from l to 3 cents, so you see when
these towns make appropriations for
good roads they are really struggling
to improve their condition.
We have, however, made start in
the matter OF state road building and
are making progress every year. In
1901 state road law was passed
which was general in its application
that Is, 1t provided that every town In
the state might have state aid In COM
plying with certain conditions. The
amount which any town could expend
under this original law was only 5000
per year, and the maximum state aid
allowed on account Of such expendt-
ture was 800. Succeeding legislatures
raised the amount until at present 5000
Is the maximum amount town may
expend and be reimbursed by the state
for half its expenditure.
The first year Of the law only twelve
towns took advantage of its provisions
while last year, the sixth year of Its
operation. 322 towns built their state
roads and received state aid. This
year 1853 towns are building sections
Of state road.
Our law provides that when a town
makes appropriation and declares it's
intention to build state road the county
commissioners shall designate In that
town the main Travelled thoroughfare,
which shall thereafter be known as the
state road, and that said appropriation
shall be expended In improving some
section Of this road. Under this pro
vision for designating state roads
about 2,4OO miles Of road have already
been laid out.
UP to the close Of last year about
$45O,OOO had been expended by tbs
towns and the state In this reconstruc.
ton work. and nearly 800 miles OF
road had been worked upon. The
work consists mainly In cutting down
excessive grades, raising roads iu
swamps and low places, STRENGTHENING
crooked roads, taking out sharp curves
and understanding Quagmires.
IN general our surfacing material
consists Of gravel, but In many cases
only the natural soil Is used for this
purpose, especially If gravel cannot Sc
obtained within two miles Of the loca
ton OF the work Probably In forty
towns IN the state the surfacing mate
rial Is crushed stone.
Inc work up to the present time has
been under the direct supervision of
the various boards Of county commits
sloners. AS the law provides for in
pleted and the commissioners have not
IN general insisted on one standard O,
work. there have been quite good
many variations in the completed
roads, but progress is being made each
year. and we are gradually approach.
Ing something In the line Of uniform.
lV. The standard which we ask to
have maintained Is for a road twenty.
one feet wide which shall have al
least twelve feet Of hardened track.
With earth shoulders to make up tht
width.
Our general specification Is for sur.
facing material to be eight inches thick
n the center and six inches thick OF
The shoulders, to be screened into sizes
and deposited In layers and rolled
possible. We find that such
work where It Is carefully and ven
lone averages In cost from IS to 90
sents per lineal foot.