The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-08-29
ANOTHER KIND OF A ROAD.
Concrete Claims to Stand Up Under
Constant Use-NO Expense for
Repairs.


Constant Use-No Expense for
Repairs.
The New York Tribune of August
8 contains the following article on
road building:
MY opinion is that there should
be only two kinds of roads built in
the country-concrete and gravel"
says S. D. Waldon, of the good roads
committee of the Automobile Cham
Der of Commerce. Concrete is the
last word in efficient and durable
surface at not too great cost and
gravel the best farmers road at the
minimum expense. | think it is
waste of time to build roads of any,
thing better than gravel and not as
good as concrete"
This is a clear cut presentation OF
solution of the highway problem
that is puzzling all civilized coun-
tries to-day. 1t is generally recog-
nized by highway authorities and
road users that the methods of
building wagon roads with broken
stone, as introduced by Telford and
MacAdam a century ago, have be-
come obsolete. While these water
bound roads were serviceable enough
for the traffic of the nineteenth CEN
tury, they are utterly unsuited to
the increased traffic and the higher
speeds of the twentieth century.
Within from two to five years after
new macadam road is built it is worn
out and must be remade, or at the
very least must be resurfaced
throughout its length. In the mean
time, unless it has been oiled fire.
quently or otherwise treated with an
adhesive binder, the dust lying on its
surface is a public nuisance to all
who use the road and to all who live
beside it.
New York state, with more than
100000 available for state high
way construction, is only waiting
for the breaking of the legislative
deadlock to let contracts for hun
dreds of miles of new roads. II the
administration will make use of the
opportunity presented by this hold-up
in contract letting to study present
and fuure traffic needs and revise all
specifications for road work so as to
require permanent construction for
| all new state roads, it will erect a
monument to itself such as no Gov
ernor, state engineer or road COM
missioner has ever had.
During 1912 New York State plac-
ed under contract $40 miles of water
| bound macadam roads at an average
| cost of $10,S13 mile and $50 miles
of macadam with bituminous binder
| at an average cost of $10,966 a mile.
| Contracts were also let for % miles
of gravel roads and 305 miles of
"other road Thus, out of a total
of 1888 miles, there were 1900
miles at least in permanent roads.
Owing to charges of irregularities,
some of these contracts have been
| cancelled by the new administration.
Permanent highways cost less in
the long run than macadam and 9TH
er types of temporary roads. The
first cost is greater, but their annual
cost of upkeep is far less and they
have a much longer life. This is
particularly true of the concrete
road. 1t costs less to build than
most other kinds of so-called per-
manent roads, is practically inde-
structible and requires almost no
attention after completion.
In Bellefontaine, Ohio, there is
nearly half a mile of concrete streets
which were laid twenty-one years
ago and the repairs on which have
not amounted to $3.50 in that time.
The wear has not exceeded one-half
to three-quarters Of an inch where
the horses travel. These streets are
easy to clean and easily kept clean.
They are ideal for motor traffic and
as lasting proposition are beyond
compare. The city's experience
with macadam has been less FORUM
ate. Last December it paid off the
last bond of an issue of ten-year
bonds for the construction of 1000
feet of macadam street. This is now
worn out and the Council is prepar-
ing ordinances for repairing it with
brick.
The village of Saugerties, N. Y,
has made an interesting experiment
with concrete. About four years
ago it built complete new road
one-half of concrete and the rest oi
macadam. The macadamized por-
tion had to be completely repaired
at the end of two years service, as II
had become badly cut up by heavy
traffic. The cement road is in perfect
condition to-day and appears to bC
good for many years to come.
. Concrete roads were adopted sew
eral years ago as standard construc
tion by the Board of Supervisors o.
Wayne county, Mich, in which the
city of Detroit is located. Results