The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-11-11
Winter Care of Roads.

Keep bitches and Drains Open and Use
Road Drag to Prevent Injury by Freezing
Weather.
bulletin u S. Dept. of Agriculture ]
! Water, not cold. is the cause of the
deterioration of roads in winter, accord
ing to the road specialists of the depart
ment. Cold weather does not in itself
injure roads, no matter whether they are
earth, gravel. or macadam. In fact, an
earth road will stand more traffic when
it is solidly frozen than at any other
time. Excess water, however, Is always
detrimental to a highway. When cold
weather turns this water into ice, the
damage that it does is greatly increased.
Ice occupies considerably more space
than the wster from which it is formed,
and every person who has lived in a cold
climate is familiar with the powerful
bursting effect of water when left to
freeze in a confined vessel. The same
action takes place when wet road
freezes to any considerable depth. 1t
simply bursts, or, as we generally term
it in road parlance, the road heaves.
Later, when the frost leaves, the road is
disintegrated and ruts badly. If this
process is repeated a number of times
during the winter, gravel or macadam
road may be practically destroyed, while
an earth road may become entirely i'm
passable.
A dry road will not heave. Rock,
gravel, sand, and even clay when perfect
ly dry contract slightly on freezing. In
order to expand on freezing, these ma
terials must contain or be mixed with
water, and the more water they contain
the greater the expansion which takes
place. But SO long as the road remains
frozen the damage does not become ap-
parent. Hence the frequent and erro-
neous idea that it is the thaw which in
jures the road. The injury was done
when the water in the road froze and the
particles of the road surface broken
stone, sand. or still finer particles of
earth or clay-were pushed apart by the
expanding power of the freezing water.
The thaw merely allows the ice to melt
and assume its original volume as water.
The remedy is self-evident. Keep the
water out of the road. The time to be-
gin preventive measures is early in the
fall, before the rains begin. If the road
goes into the winter thoroughly dry.
with the surface and drainage in good
condition, the chances are extremely
the following spring.
Keep the bitches and drains Open Re-
move all accumulations of weeds, grass,
etc., which tend to retain moisture and
obstruct drainage. Furthermore, do this
work early, while the ground is still dry
and hard. Vegetation and litter hold
water like sponge and allow it grad
ually to soak in and soften the earth. The
job before the road man is to keep the
hard, dry surface formed in the summer
time from becoming softened by the fall
and winter rains and SHOWS. When the
fall rains begin the earth or gravel road
should be dragged frequently to prevent
the formation of ruts and the collection
Of water. All raveled places on macadam
surfaces should be carefully filled in and
consolidated.
During the winter, whenever thaw is
coming on, the cross drains and side
bitches should be opened up as far as
possible so as to prevent water collecting
along the roadway. If the thaw is so
pronounced that the roadway is softened,
the drag should be used; sometimes one
round trip of the drag, with the hitch
reversed, will entirely rid the earth road
of slush and melting snow and leave the
road surface practically dry. Don't get
the idea that the drag is not needed on
your earth and gravel roads in the win
ter time. Instead, keep it where you
can get at it readily, for if the winter is
an ordinary Ole you will need it many
times.
Winter destruction begins in the early
fall. The best way to prevent such de-
struction is to forstall it. Keep the road
dry and remember that so long as it re-
mains so it will not be seriously injured
by frost. Keep the drains open, the
bitches clear, remove all vegetation and
litter, and use the drag frequently. If
the road is kept dry to a depth of feet
below the surface there will be little
trouble from the coolest winter.