The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-14
LETTERS TO EDITOR
On Road Building

To the Editor of The Age-Heraid:
 The article on "The Building of High ways" by Percy Clark, In your issue of the 10th inst, is interesting, and would be very valuable if 1t were more ac- curate. MT. Clark states that "it is es- timated'' that a "A foot roadway, con- sisting of a F foot center of brick with 9 feet on each side of chert or other road material, the brick to be curbed on either side with six inches of concrete binding to hold the brick in place, can be built for from s7O00 to s12OOO per mile, exclusive of surveying and grading. Now, there will be 17,600 square yards of surface in the mile of road, 7040 square yards of which will be brick and 10,56O square yards other material. If the brick pavement is laid on concrete, as it would have to be If it is to Hast for cen turies with a minimum cost for upkeep- ing,' and if the brick are furnished at cost by the manufacturers, the brick cen ter alone will cost at least $10,000, as follows:
 Paving blocks are said to cost s16 per thousand at the kilns. They sell usually at s10 to s22 f. o. b. cars at ordinary distance from point of manufacture. It will cost at least s1 per thousand to load and haul them from the cars to the place where used if the distance does not ex- ceed a mile. As there are required 42 blocks to the square yard this will make the brick cost on the road 7-16c each, or little over Il cents per square yard. It will cost cents a yard to lay and grout them, cents per yard for cement grout and about the same for sand cushion making in all SS cents per square yard Then the concrete base will cost al least 50 cents per square yard, and the con- crete binding will certainly cost cents per lneal foot, and l think more likely 71s cents. The figures given above for the concrete base and brick pavement amount to S1. .3S per square yard, which IS certainly very low Seven thousand and forty yards at this rate would amount to s9715. while the concrete binder at 3 cents per lineal foot would come to S52s more, making a total of sl0,2O3.
 Then we have the ''chert or other ma terial." 1 do not know what chert roads cost In Alabama, but we consider 50 cents per square yard a very low figure In and around Chattanooga At this price the balance of the road. 10,o6o square yards, would add $52S0 to the cost. mak ing a grand total of $1552S.20, which I think more careful estimate than l am making would show to be lower than such a road could be built for in most localities But MT. Clark says that the experimental road built under federal supervision, and which cost slS,251 per mile. was too costly
 Brick under very favorable conditions may be used to advantage, but such a road must be built "on honor" and under very capable superintendence. the brick must all be first class in quality-the fcundati ton good. In these days such road is very. rarely constructed.
 Let me urge that, instead of adopting, as standard. such road as MT. Clark de- scribes, those who are steering the move ment for system of good roads in Ala bama, take cognizance of material pro- duced in the greatest abundance in their midst I refer to the slag from the Iron furnaces This material mixed in the proper proportions as to size and held together with high grade asphalt bind- er will make a road of permanent character, infinitely better in quality than the brick center road described If the railroads can be induced to make extra low rates on sag which is to be used in road building. and If specifications for the construction of various grades Of such roads are carefully drawn and honestly followed. Alabama will have the finest roads in the south. There should be no great difficulty In accomplishing this. It is now generally conceded by the railroads thta the building of fine roads Is of vital importance to them, and in many northern and eastern localities road material and machinery for road building are given especially low rates It may be necessary to get the peimis- sion of the interstate railroad commis- sion, but that should not be difficult. Let the counties do the grading work with their chain gang or workhouse force on the grade, so prepared at a minimum cost should be placed by experienced hands an asphalt macadam pavement or such character and width of roadway as