The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1912-10-25
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
OFFICE OF PUBLIC ROADS.
REPORT OF INSPECTION OF YER
MONT HIGHWAYS.
By PAUL D. SARGENT, Assistant Director.


State Highway Commissioner, to make a
thorough inspection of the roads of YER
mont for the purpose of recommending
what legislation, if any, was needed to
strengthen the highway work in the state,
7 spent the entire time from the evening
of August second until noon Of August
ninth in the state of Vermont. August
third and fourth were spent in Bennington
county. with Mr.. d. H. Winslow, U. S.
Highway Engineer, Office Public Roads,
and Mr.. Daniel Bates, county supervisor
for the state highway department in eX-
amining about 100 miles of Highways in
Bennington county Particular attention
was given to new work now under way,
and to work which will be undertaken in
the immediate future. 1t appears to me
that the work in this county at the pres
ent time is we'll in hand and all of the new
work is being laid out and is being con-
structed in good common sense way and
according to good engineering principles.
August fifth to noon of August ninth was
spent with Mr.. Gates, and with several
county supervisors who were taken along
from time to time while traversing the ter
ritories under their several supervisors.
During this time about $40 miles of
road, mostly selected highways, were
covered. Practically all natural condi-
tions were found that would be met in any
and every part OF the country Consider
able acres were traversed where the nat
ural soil was clay or sand; in many places
natural gravel soil was found and in other
sections a considerable amount of ledge
underlaid the road, or showed on either
side. The Typography of the entire state
is very much broken and hardly mile of
road can be found, with the exception OF
the roads in Grand Isle county, where eX-
cessive grades are not frequently met.
The selected roads which have not been
improved except by the system of main
tanance in vogue, appear to me to be
rather narrow
Evidence of good practical improvement
was seen, however, at frequent intervals,
especially on the roads designed as trunk
line roads on the map just published by
the state highway department and fire.
quentlv on others of the selected high
ways These improvements consist of
widening the road, reducing grades and
surfacing with gravel. Much of the widen
ing has been done at sharp curves, and
has necessitated the blasting out of large
amounts of ledge. In every instance the
improvement appears to me to have been
of decidedly practical and valuable
nature. All Improvements have been
carried out as far as l could see with
thorough provisions for drainage, with
the possible exception that a few old stone
culverts had been left in the work and
heightened to meet the additional width |
of road which in the future may give
some trouble This criticism is based on
a cursory examination of only a few cul-
verts. With the limited funds available
for most of these jobs it may be good
judgment to leave in the work culverts of
this character which appear to have ten or
fifteen years of service.
Another criticism which l would make
of the improved roads is that they have
been built with too sharp a crown; this
tends to confne travel strictly to the CEN
ter of the road and in turn gives the road
a few years after Improvement the appear
apce of being much narrower than it
really is. On account OF the fact that
travel holds to the crown of the road, the
shoulders quickly grass over, so that on
many sections of improved road there is
only about ten feet of travelled track
showing between the grass shoulders.
realize that the sharp crown has been used
on account of the fact that practically
none of the roads are finished by the use
of rollers and the high crown allows for
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travel of the material used in grading the
roads as we'll as the gravel used in surface
ing them. A fatter crown would dis
tribute the travel over a wider surface
and in consequence cause the roads to
have a wider appearance and to wear
down more uniformly. The roads with a
sharp crown, however, will probably stand
longer without re-surfacing. The grass
shoulders were found by experience to be
perfectly safe for turning out when meet
ing or passing other vehicles.
In my trip passing through seventy-nlne
townships, and covering over six hundred
miles of highway | was very much inn
pressed in all sections of the state, except
in Addison county, by the abundance of
frst-class gravel for road building pur-
poses. Better material more generally
distributed | have never seen anywhere,
and l believe the practice of using this
material for surfacing improved roads is
correct from every point of view and
should be continued. In the first place .
such gravel as is available in most every
locality in Vermont makes the most agree
able surface that | know of for general
traffic, as well as for automobile
traffic. Distributed as generally as it is
in Vermont there can be no question but
bldJ IL Is lile mOsJ economical suTldCluB
material that can be used in practically ,
every section of the state. Furthermore ,
a gravel surface can be renewed and main-
tanned at less expense and with less appa-
ratus and with less skill than any other
kind of a surface, which will be equally Q
| believe it would pay to
draw this material either with traction {
engines and trains of wagons of three to 7
five cubic yards capacity, or upon the :
railroad for considerable distance to sur
face roads in those sections which are de-
ficient in gravel.
After going over the various points of Q
the state highway law and the system
under which the state highway work is
and supervised in Vermont, the '
details Of which it is needless to repeat g
here, must say that the law and method I.
Of administering the law are very well :
suited to Vermont conditions. The pres
snt system results in keeping all money 9
expended on the work at home, j. e., it is 4
paid to local labor entirely. Ii results,
however, in more or less inconvenience to r
The travelling public on account Of work Z
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