Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-05-14
A Discussion of State Roads.

On Thursday OF last week TIC otn'
Roads Commission granted to State Sena
tor Lee hearing on certain changes o
method recommended by him based OF
experience with the Survey roads in Mont
eomery county. Besides the State Roads
Commission, Mr.. Crosby, chief engineer
was present Messrs. Clark and Remsen
also members of the Geological Survey
Shoemaker Roads,, objected to any critl-
cism of the contracts and acts OF the
Geological Survey, saying it was separate
body and such criticisms should be brought
before it. Mr.. Lee argued that he was
present to criticise the methods of the Sur
vey as the result of experience with thell
roads, with the understanding that similar
methods and contracts were about to be
adopted now and under the same engineer
Chairman Tucker permitted Mr.. Lee to
proceed.
He said that by comparing the Massa-
chusetts form of specifications with those
of the Survey, he had found that the Sur
vey uses the Massachusetts plan and at
tempts to make road like the Massachu-
sets road, but has omitted certain essen
tial features, materially affecting both cost
and durability.
He instanced the fact that in Massachu-
sets the cracked stone is weighed, while
no such precaution against imposition is
followed by the Geological Survey in Mary
land.
The Survey method of ascertaining the
amount of stone put into road, the most
important and costly part, is to measure
the thickness of each square yard after
rolling. This. he argued, is difficult and
inaccurate. as the stone has then, to a
certain extent, been driven into the earth
by the heavy roller.
The principal cause he alleged of the
failure of so many Survey roads in Mont
gomery county is that the very important
underneath drainage used in Massachu-
sets is omitted by the Geological Survey,
which latter. in building our roads, places
the stone directly on clay. In Massachu-
sets the clay is removed before the crack
ed stone is placed and twelve inches of
gravel or sand is put under the stone to
secure a drained base He did not criticise
the Survey for emitting to put twelve
inches of sand or gravel under the stone,
as that is very expensive, but he did insist
that where this kind of drainage is omitted
some other kind should be substituted and
that it is impossible for these sx-inch
stone roads to stand when put directly on
clay without the clay being well drained
by deeper side bitches and cross section of
greater fall. The Survey uses the same
shallow side bitches and small cross-sec-
ton fall used in Massachusetts and makes
no effort to compensate for leaving out the
sand and gravel sub-drainage.
Mr.. Lee inquired whether any different
directions had been given to the engineers
now surveying and running levels in Mont
gomery, and whether the surfaces of the
new roads are to be low and difficult to
drain like the Survey roads that have al
ready been put in and which are now
proving so costly? Mr.. Crosby did not an
swer the question. Mr. Lee referred to two
miles of Survey Road in Montgomery coun-
ty, near Gaithersburg. that have just been
repaired though only three years old, at a
cost slightly over $4,000. Mr.. Crosby,
asked by Mr.. Remsen to explain. stated
that these two miles broke down be-
cause they were used when green and in
hauling stone to make roads further on.
Mr.. Lee thought that, as the stone wag-
ons haul only three tons and the farm
WAGONS frequently carry four or five tons,
it would seem clear that these two miles
would not stand up under the local traffic
He said he is advised the local opinion is
that. though so extensively repaired, these
roads will give way again in short time,
and he pointed out number of other less
important Details such as unnecessary
grading. which take away from the dura-
bility and increase the expense of the Sur
vey roads.
Attention was called to the fact that the
contracts heretofore used and now proposed
practically guaranteeing both that his own
work will be well done and also that the
plans of the engineer are sufficient to make
a good road. He stated that such sys-
TEN would obviously tend to prevent com
petition because fewer contractors would
undertake. without proper protection, to
guarantee to build good road on plans
which have been proven by experience to
be fundamentally defective. He urged
that the duties of the contractor should be
more clearly specified and that he be held
to full account for strict compliance with
his contract. and that the engineer be held
to strict account for the suffcency of the
plans to produce good road.
Illustrating the situation, he said
These contractors, if they clear 10 per
cent on the 100000 of contracts, will
invest $4,500,000 of labor and money in
making the roads, and they and the State
are entitled to have all rights and duties
clearly defined" He asked Mr. Crosby to
point out any place in the contract where
he was bound to say by definite time
whether the work was satisfactorily done
or not. Mr.. Crosby made no response to
this question. Mr.. Lee thought that the
great power over the contractors given to
Mr.. Crosby would tend to prevent competi-
ton, if it had no worse result.
In conclusion he said:
Gentlemen, you are starting out. as is
stated, to make durable roads for $4,000
a mile or less. This can be done, but it
cannot be done If you follow the plans of
the Geological Survey. That learned body
has built roads in Montgomery county at
an average of $1,000 mile. and large
portion of these are failures. How can