The Winchester news. [volume] (Winchester, Ky.) 1908-19??, 1909-02-04
TOUR OF Inspection.
Value of a Day Spent With a
State Highway Commissioners.
RoADMAKlNG POINTS GAINED.
Right Way to Sprinkle a Maeadan
Roadway - Three Wise Drainage
Ruies-Forming a Subarade-Gravs
and Telford Road Construction.

Roadway - Three Wise Drainage
Ruies-Forming a Subarade-0ravsI
and TeIford Road Construction.
''We start every morning at exactly
half past 7 O'clock" said State High
way Commissioner James II. Maedon-
aid of Connecticut on a recent e hing
when the writer was arranging br q
days trip in the official aut obile
over the highways which havs made
that state famous for it's good roads.
1t was then 8 o'clock or later, and the
commissioner had just returned home.
so we anticipated q strenuous tomor-
row. Promptly at the hour appointed
all were ready for the start
The improved roads over which we
travelled have moderate grades and
smooth surfaces. Though some Of
them were built dozen years ago and
have never been treated with oil or
tar or any special preparation, they
were In perfect condition except for
some few spots where the autos are
doing their destructive work, and the
need Of a little trap rock dust to pro-
tect the second course Of stone Is ap-
parent
One Of the first points noticed on
this trip was that the state roads out
side Of the villages were smoother than
those connecting with them that are
under the care OF the municipalities.
says Charles s. Long In the Good
Roads Magazine. Within one town the
commissioner called attention to a
sprinkllng wagon that was forcing the
water down on the macRdam and flush
ing the fine dust to the cutters instead
Of spraying 1t gently and leaving it to
form binder to the road. That kind
Of sprinkling tends to ruin a macadam
roadway by removing the surfacing
material. just as the motor car and
the wind remove 1t.
Speaking Of q stretch Of road that
extended like q ribbon of asphalt until
the perspective brought 1t to a point at
the farthest limit Of vision, the COM
missioner explained that 1t was con-
faced with trap rock dust. Many Of
the dirt and gravel roads Of the state
are being treated in this way. They
are graded and rolled and then, after
year or 80, are given q surfacing Of
trap rock splinters and dust which
abound In the state. The state fur
nishes annually a certain amount of
broken stone or screenings to each
town, aud along the sides of the roads
are to be seen piles Of this material
surmounted by signboards bearing the
words State Property"
When a road Of whatever kind of
construction is to be built with state
aid In Connecticut the plans are drawn
In the commissioners Office In the cap
itol building at Hartford. An engineer
is then sent to establish the grades
along the proposed road. These grades
are verified from time to time by the
engineer, and stakes which may have
been displaced In the prosecution Of
the work by the contractor are reset,
50 that the finished road shall conform
exactly to the original specifications.
Drainage Is attended to first on the
principle Of the commissioners famous
three ''keeps"-viz, Keep the water
or the road, keep 1t out of the road,
keep it from under the road" This
having been attended to, the neces-
sary bridges and culverts are arranged
for. These are being constructed Of
concrete as fast as possible.
Then comes the forming OF the sub
grade. The contractor Is required IN
building any kind Of road to remove
oil loan, roots and vegetable matter
from the proposed travel way Of the
road and also everything Of spongy
nature. If there is not material enough
to bring the Subgrade to the height
required the contractor must supply
the deficiency. II there is an overplus
from cuts 1t must be disposed Of &C
cording to directions. The subgrade
is rolled thoroughly with a ten ton
steam roller and brought to the exact
contour of the finished road surface.
Importance Is laid upon the manner of
building the shoulder In fact, impor-
lance Is laid upon every step In the
progress Of construction, for the com
missioner says that there are no '1ittle
things" in roadmaking, and the con-
tractor is required to extend the shout
der several inches on to the travel
way and thoroughly roll or ram the
material down to the established
grade and then cut 1t back to the line.
This renders It firm and unyieldtng to
the metniins.
In the coustE1ctiea Of a gzavei road
II In specified that 'the frst course
shah consist Of coed. clean gravel, not
less th0a 80 Per cent Of gravel, tAs
balance material that wfn bind Ne
loam wf1 b AlioweA
The gravel shah range from Pea
stone 10 tAsss hcAss q rs loaesst O.
AIreesr Care mUs< Do taksa 10 haze
the ssavA - near EafFsga n Qu&sfy
as possible. avstdiag ssHA, the small
sissa - fesaeAt0aee TAa gravel
she1 Be spceeA sa uAtferaiy snA rsaa-
cd down. sftsr vAteA spriakier SHAH
DO used and this course wet down and
80 ~ tr