Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-09-25
A FINE PIECE
OF THE STATE AID
ROAD BEING BUILT
From Junction of Green and
Central Streets to South End
OF the New Mills Bridge

The State Aid road which Is being con-
structed from the junction of Green and
Central streets to the southerly end of
the New Mills bridge is nearing compile
ton and will undoubtedly be finished
Friday Considerable pressure was
brought to bear in the city highway de-
parment last fall In an endeavor to have
the old road simply repaired Major
Berry, however. was firm in his belief
that 1t would be simply putting good
money after bad, as the old water bound
macadam had conclusively proved that
II was a very expensive piece of road to
keep In repair and should It be repaired
IL would be but a very short time before
it would be necessary to repeat the oper-
alton on q larger and more extensive
scale and favored new construction. Not
but what the newly constructed road
will need repair, for it will. It Is, how
ever, the longest lived and most easily
and cheaply repaired road, possible, in
short IL Is the last word In road building
Its construction Is thoroughly modern
and the weather conditions have been
the most favorable possible, warm ana
dry.
Messrs. Hardison and Wiggin of the
State Highway department, under whose
supervision the work has been done,
viewed the road Thursday morning and
expressed themselves as highly pleased
with it j. A. Mclean OF Augusta has
been IN immediate charge, having re-
Gently come from Kittery and York
trunk line which he has been superin-
tending. In matters of this sort he is a
past master and has been employed in
work of like nature for the past 10 years.
Formerly he was employed in road grad
ing In the state of Washington, con-
structing roads in the lumber country,
over which long and heavy lumber was
hauled.
The road IS LOO feet IN length and from
Is to 10 feet in width. It's cost will ap-
ppoximate 1920 or sl50Q At the approach
OF the bridge concrete walls have been
constructed, one about 10 feet In length
and the other shorter. By this means
nearly 500 additional travel room has
been secured.
The process of construction Is of much
interest and is called bituminous maca-
dam. The stone used came from North
Jay and. Is carloads have been used 1t
has been delivered at the siding of the
| Copsecook mill and this means a great
saving in hauling, several hundred dol
| lars. Tar<ta X, a preparation made es-
pecially for road construction, has been
| used. COCO gals. In all.
The water bound macadam, laid by the
city some six years ago. was scarifed,
| narrowed cleansed and after being
| treated with sand as binder. rolled with
| the steam roller. This was done to en-
sure a perfectly smooth foundation and
secure equality in thickness Of the new
construction. Three inches of coarse
! stone was then laid and rolled. Then two
and one-half inches of fine stone was
| added. treated with tarvia by the hand
process and again rolled. Next very
tine stone and paint coat of tarvia was
laid and rolled and finished with layer
| of granite dust and final rolling given,
The completed road has Gambia, or rise
in the center OF three inches.