The Wagner post. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1912-current, 1912-04-05
SUGGESTIONS FOR DIRT ROAD
BUILDING.

highways have been projected across
the state, and some of them are desig-
ated rs "transeontinental highways. :"
The time is near at hand when the ac-
tual work of road construction must be
begun. otherwise these projected high
ways will be of no particular benefit.
Hence few suggestions as to the
proper method of dirt road construc-
tion may be in order and perhaps of
consider able value.
If road is intended for interstate
travel it must be cons structed so 40 to
be suitable for all kinds of traffic. A
few fundamental principles should be
observed in the construction of this
road that have heretofore been abso-
lutely neglected in all local road con-
struction in this state. The most i'm
portant is the width of the roadway.
If we assume that no work has been
done on tire road the simplest way to
proceed will be as follows: First,
set stakes twenty feet apart for the
main roadway. This should be done
the full length of roadway so as to
make it straight. Then, outside of
this twenty foot limit. start the plow-
ing and plow ten feet wide on both
sides. Then move the sod from the
outside to the center making the road
way as nearly level as possible.
Pulverize the sod-Aftcr the sod is
moved into the roadway use sod cutter
and thoroughly cut and lulverize all
sod. Do not under any circumstance s
allow the sod to remain in Jumps ans
rot for it will absorb moisture and con-
tinue to settle uneven for at le asst two
years, thus producing holes in the
road way that will make it unfit for any
aud all kinds of traffic. First pulver-
ize the sod :hen put more dirt on top.
| If the rest of the dirt is lumpy pulvAr-
ize that also, twill then pack even. I
Finishing Touches. Then finish the
roadway with grader, making the
center of the tewnty foot roadway
about six or seven inches higher than
at the edge and construct crowning
surface. Also make gentle curvee
slope clear to the gutter. This will
make thirty-eight foot driveway from
gutter to gutter.
Make a Wide Road.-The writer
knows that many will claim that this is
wider than necessary, but when it is
! considered that this road is intended
fer all kinds of travel. the road must
be constructed so wide that no person
with load of hay or any kind Of wide
machinery can block the road and pre-
vent another party from passing by.
no matter in what direction the parties
are going. The writer has frequently
approached load of hay with a light
rig and been compelled to travel be-
hind that load for considerable dis
tance because the driver would not
turn out part way. The grades were
too narrow and the cutters, or rather
bitches, were too steep to venture into.
If we intend to encourage any great
amount of tourist travel over our roads
the tourist must be treated with
courtesy, hence the roads must be con-
tructed so wide that condition of thi:
kind will be impossible.
Best is Cheapest. Again. if road
is constructed too narrow at first anc
it becomes necessary to widen it after
wards. the dirt must be moved back
and refilled where il was taken out
first; thus increasing the cost of con.
struction at least twice what it shoule
be, and at the same time the roaG
Will uOS DS % SOliO LUZ ScNcI0l YEAR
az it would have been had the origina
road been made wide enough. Where
road grading machinery can be usee
the work can be done very muci
cheaper than by teamwork and scrap
ers.
Pack the Road. The next point II
Importance in connection with dir
road construction that has been over
looked in the past is the use of q
steam road roller. Where consider
able dirt is graoed up the same viii
remain loose and spongy for consid
cradle time and wagon with heav,
load will tend to cut through. Thi
can be avoided altogether by using
1 ten-tOn roller which will mack the dir