The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-31
MCANTS DISCUSSES WARRIOR RIVER ROAD
Cement Man Presents Argu- ments in Favor of Cement
 Construction


 navigation of the Warrior river is no
 longer a dream but an actuality of
 greatest importance to the Birmingham
 district much interest is being mani
 fested in the proper means for trans
 porting the varied products from this district to the river
 AS the greatest advantage to Bir-
 mingham will be a reduction in freight rates to tidewater. 1t is not expected that the railroads will be interested in this transportation problem and the possibility of a valley river canal is too remote for present consideration, yesterday said J. I. McCants, sales man ager Standard Portland Cement com pany. who has just returned fro1n a trip of inspection of the concrete high ways around Milwaukee, Wis.
 "The first thing then to be consid- ered,' he says, lis the construction of a highway from this city to some point on the Warrior river where suitable
 wharfage may be obtained and all will agree that a highway should be con structed at once for without it Bir
 m.ngham shall be unable to take ad- NtnldSe Ol the OppOItuhllieS "hiN'i have been opened. This highway should be planned so that its gra les will offer no difficulties to the sue
 cessful operation of heavy motor trucks and because of the wear to which 1t shall be subjected by these motor trucks and other heavy vehicles. Thie
 highway should be constructed of the
 best materials which shall permit a
 minimum maintenance expense and
 which shall be permanent.
 "Milwaukee county. Wisconsin, mind
 full of the successful results which have
 been obtained by other sections of the country with concrete roads where diff ficult traffic problems have been sus- cessfull solved, decided to adopt the concrete highway, being convinced that it is the most permanent and econom- icdl. During the past year DO miles or concrete roads were constructed by this county and during this summer an additional 40 miles will be com, pleted.
 "The widespread construction of inn r:oved roads have led the American people In their haste to better condi- tons to attempt to build 'maximuir mileage roads which cannot and will not even approximate the life of their bonds roads which will entail annual maintenance charges of from S75o to l S10G0 per mile per year. Experience has 1 proven that the Portland cement con l crete road can be built at but slight
 cost over the ordinary macadam ads 1 ard that its yearly cost per mile per l year for maintenance is less than 5 O. l "Over 14,S00,000 square yards were l hnlt in 1914. Expressed in miles this | 1914 Portland cement concrete yard l age if built in the form of road nine | ,t, frn atC1- ] iagton D. C., to Austin, Tex, via At l lSfta and New Orleans, with feeders 1 ruaning from Atlanta to JacksonYille. 1 from Atlanta to Nashville; from At | lanta to Memphis and with road from | New Orleans to Memphis thrown in 1 These permanent Portland cement hi2h- l ways, if properly constructed, last al most indefinitely, and are serviceanl' l 365 days in the year; they are prac-
 tically flat; are nonslippery and suit
 able for both automobile and heavy | team traffic. There is no question that | on account of large quantities or law | materials in this district for the con 1 struction of such road that the cost | per mile would not be much greater l than that of a macadam roadway. over l 1 co miles of concrete roads are in use l in Wayne county, Michigan. and hur 1 dreds of miles are being constructed l in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New forH state, Maryland, Wisconsin and other states Why not cut out the tremen- dous cost of maintenance of upkeep oi
 roadways in Jefferson county and buil' permanent construction? The concrete l highway is the solution of the prob | lem.
 ! While going over the concrete roads | in Milwaukee county last week l no ticed number of large traction en- zines running over these roads pull | ing from 10 to 15 cars loaded with ma terial. This would indicate the adapt
 ability of this class of construction fol | heavy traffic"