Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-11-30

ate percentage of the total cost and it is
also the most permanent part of the road.
therefore careful study Of the alignment
cannot be too strongly urged upon the road
builders.
3S. Anderson county, South Carolina.
Dirt roads prevail throughout this coun-
ty, some of which have been well graded
and crowned. There are some deep
bitches and the roadbed is quite narrow In
places.
GEORGIA ROADS ROASTED
80. Passing into the state of Georgia,
the lack of improvement upon their roads
was almost Immediately noticeable, and
only one county In this state was noted
to have made any Improvement worthy
Of mention. "A prominent man among
the party OF tourists said that ne was in
terested in road work in Georgia because
1t was so much needed, and his state
ment was well borne out by evidence
along the route through this state. We
should not continue without acknowledge
ing that what Georgia lacks in highways
was made up with hospitality unsurpassed
from New York to the Georgia state
line.
40. Were it not for the fact that De-
Kalb county came to the rescue, but lit
tie could be said in favor Of the high
difficulties to be overcome in good road
construction in Georgia are no greater
than in the other states, and with little
effort and expense the roads could be
very much improved. II it is not posi-
BILE for a community to construct a ma
cadam or sand-clay road they can easily
make improvements on the dirt road by
eliminating steep grades, widening and
shaping the roadbed and keeping the
rocks and vegetable matter OF the road
bed. In some Of the counties the roads
were being repaired by the old labor sys-
TEN, and some of them were almost
impossible on account Of the quantity
of soft, loose material composed Of grass,
leaves, etc, that had been thrown up
frcm the side bitches into the road The
state of Georgia needs a capable state
highway engineer.
CONCLUSION.
A. In summing up the recommendations
of this report briefly, we call special at
tention to the following features of road
construction. Short curves should be
eliminated and the alignment kept as
straight as possible. 1t is often possible
to improve grades over mountain roads
by a new location, thus keeping the short
steep grades to a maximum OF to per
cent or less 1t is impossible to build a
of right of way, and no road should be
graded less than 20 feet between bitches,
and in most cases they should be "A to 80
feet It is impracticable to build ma
cedam roads without stone crushers and
steam rollers In many locations the
sand-clay tpye of construction is most
practicable. Bitumlnous macadam should
be substituted for plain macadam where
there is automobile trafhc.
A. Possibly one Of the most important
features of road building is drainage,
and side bitches should always be provid-
ed. thank you-ma' ans" where neces-
sary should be ''V'' shaped. concrete cul-
verts and bitches should be substituted
for open bitches across the road and also
for the wooden culverts. The split-log
drag is strongly recommended to all high
way officials having dirt roads to main
tain Several places along this route
deep bitches were noted, that had been
quilted by the water washing on the