Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-10
HARBOR ROAD
IS MAGNIFICENT
PIECE OF WORK
INSPECTOR SAYS IT EQUALS
RACE TRACK
SIX MILES OF BOULEVARD ARE
COMPLETED
Winter Rains Must Settle Bed Before
the Top Layer of Maeadam
Is Put on Next
Spring

"What do think of it? It's as fine
as a. race track-that's what it is.
don't believe there's a finer piece Of
road work anywhere"
1t was Ralph G. Edinger. inspector
for the county highway commission,
who was talking, and the object of his
enthusiasm was the first completely
graded section Of the new Harbor
boulevard-in fact, the first contract
work to be completed and accepted
under the issue of S3,5OO,OOO bonds by
the county for good roads work.
The last finishing touches to the
grade were put on the new section of
| the Harbor boulevard last Tuesday
evening and when all was done the
| forty-foot speedway presented an ap-
| pearance that was sufficient to make
! the eyes of an automobile enthusiast
glisten.
who built the road glisten, too, as he
! looked over his finished work. Thls
section of the boulevard was con.
| structed by w. N. Crandall Of 12S
Stimson building, one of the pest
| known railroad builders in the south
west. AS he went over the work ne
explained in detail some OF the dill
/
In the first place, the graded section
of the boulevard which will be ready
| for the finishing coat of macadam IN
the early spring after the grade mas
| been settled and packed by the winter
| rains extends from the north edge OF
the Dominguez ranch (Wnlch Is tne
south line of Gardena) to the northern
boundary of Wilmington. Its length
is six miles.
The grading Of the boulevard had to
be made across three arms of Nigger
slough and presented several complex
| pieces of engineering. The longest ana
| most difficult fill across the slough is
800 feet long, and here the grade Is
pierced by an ample cement culvert, to
give the waters of the slough free play.
Farther south there is another NIL OF
500 feet, and still closer to Wilmington
a third fill 400 feet long.
The entire work was finished IN rec
ord time. Just 100 days from tne odle
the contract was signed six miles OF
boulevard was turned over to the high
way commission by the contractor IN
the work 100 teams and $50 men Wel
employed constantly.
In addition to the fills, the bigg Fl
cut to be made was about four !eet,
the boulevard lying along comps r- tive
ly level land, except where it Is gro ssFa
by the slough. During the 1O1 days
about 10000 cubic yards of dirt were
handled.
When it is known that this six miles
of boulevard, now a reality. is only
the first link of the Harbor boulevard,
a forty-foot highway running direct
from Main street and the city limits to
Wilmington and the harbor, its inn
portance will be understood. The north
end of the section already completed
strikes the continuation of Main street
at the south boundary of Gardena.
From there the new boulevard will run
into the heart of the city in a straight
line, except for turn of few hun
dred feet half-mile north of Gar
dena's main street.
81 guess the automobile men will
have chance to enjoy life on this
piece of work when the macadam is
put on" said Contractor Crandan as
he surveyed the work.
"When the asphalt's put on?" echoed
Fdinger. "They don't have to wait for
that They won't find better place
of work in the county than this boule-
ward is right today"
AS a matter of fact the main grad
ing contract was completed by Mr..
Crandall in ninety days after the con-
tract was let, but & subsequent con-
tract for surfacing with clay where
the soil was too sandy took an addi-
Ational ten days =.