El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-10-16
ROADS
ARE STANDARD
CALIFORNIA; Governor Fa-
vors It Universally; OBJ
servations by McNary.


dent Of the First National bank
knowing that California was the plo-
neer state and the most progressive
state in the union in good road Dulld-
ing, I took ADVANTAGE of the OppOr-
tunity TO get the governors views in
the matter Of good roads l explained
to him that FL PasO county was Just
about to vote on an issue of $500. 900
bonds for the construction of highways
and that much discussion was natur-
allv going on as to the chara cter OF
roads which should be built / asked
the governor if i might quote MIN
upon my return home, which he kindly
save me permission 10 do
Governor Johnson said. California
has definitely standardized her state
highways The character of road which
you have been riding over since you
entered the state is a permanent con-
crete base with an asphaltic wearing
surface. We intend as soon as posS1DI
to have this highway built on all the
principal roads in the state. When L
say the highway has been standard
lied I don't mean by law, but by the
policy of our state engineering depart
ment. which naturally, after much eX-
Fermentation, has adopted this road as
the best that can be built Our roads
ia some places are not as wide as we
would like to have them, but they were
the best We could do with the funds
available
War Causes Delay.
1--WE had hoped 10 have the new
highway completed both in the interior
and on the coast from san Francisco
to Los Angeles and san Diego in time
for our visitors this summer The
breaking out OF the European war last
year upset our calculations regarding
the sale Of bonds. so that our road
building almost came 10 an abrupt
stop. We finally got around the diff
Guilty by having the counties for which
the highway was constructed, purchase
the state bonds themselves and, in this
way, were able TO keep the work going
and partially carry out our original
plans During the next three years
this state will spend Sl2,O0O,O00 IN the
construction Of concrete state high
ways and when we are through we
expect TO have the finest system Of
highways in the world
Dream OF n Road.
Ny conversation with the governor
was in Hotel Potter At Santa Barbara
IN answer TO his question as TO our
destination that morning, ! told him
we were going to Los Angeles and he
said The road from here TO Los An
geles is a dream. You viii lind al
most 2 perfect highway the entire dis
lance And he then gave me a friend
ly tip REGARDING q speed trap which.
by the way, was the only one we saw
or heard any sign Of during 1000 miles
Of motoring in California.
Inspecting Concrete Road.
Z also had the opportunity of meet
ing the contractor who has built more
concrete highways than any other man
in the state Of California and saw the
working on in all the different stages
Of construction During our ride
through California we passed at least
a dozen different stretches where new
concrete county or state highway was
being constructed. After the rOadbed
had been prepared and the ingredients
distributed on the surface of the road,
the prepare ton and laying of the con-
rH n Tnna nj 11r~ nv
huge concrete mixer which. under IA
vorable circumstances. can lay as much
as 1000 feet a day. The standard width
Of the state highway is q feet where
the road is filled. and p feet through
cuts. OF this. either Is or 16 feet and,
in some cases, IS feet consists Of con-
crete roadway, with a shoulder Of rock
and oil on each side making up the
remainder Of the roadway.
Concrete Four Inches Thick.
The concrete over the outlying dis
tricts is four inches thick and, in the
more thickly Travelled sections where
it has TO support heavy truck traffic,
this is increased TO five and six inches
over this is spread a surface OF as
phaltic oil which is heated from $50 TO
300 degrees and spread under pressure
BY a special machine for that purpose.
After this surfacing has been allowed
TO cool off and set little, il is in turn
covered with either finely crushed rock
or sand and the road is then ready for
traffic.
The concrete highway is laid with
a crown Of only three inches FOR an
IS foot rOadbed. which gives il the ap-
pearance OF being actually flat and
makes il much safer and more pleasant
travelling than the old asphalt-macad-
am with an extreme crown According
10 the figures given me by the con-
tractors with whom / talked, the as
phaltic wearing surface can be renewed
for less than Sz00 a mile and, according
10 them, the concrete base would De
literally permanent
Used Old Material
In some cases where the concrete
road was being laid over highways
which had been previously improved,
the old rock and bituminOus material
from the road was carefully gathered
on each side as the old road was torn
up and this was all utilized in turn IN
constructing the shoulder on each Dor
der Of the new concrete surface. In
some cases We saw them using one OF
the big rollers with huge spikes in its
wheels to tear up what appeared to be
a tOlerably fair asphalt road
way to make way for the new concrete
road.
AS California was the first state
to set the pace for improved state high
way building, has probably built more
state highway than any other state IN
the union. and has at present a more
comprehensive plan laid out for future
read building than any other state il
could safely follow her example ana
benefit by her experience in the mat
ter Of road building.
Profit by Experience.
1t is very gratifying indeed to see
the statement by commissioner PEN
dell that our county commissioners will
certainly visit California and study the
road building methods employed there.
There are probably to be found in our
midst plenty Of wise citizens who will
set their own individual opinions and
prejudice up against CaIifOrnias 10
years experience backed by an eNpen-
diture of at least $50. 600, 600 and who
viii turn down and condemn the whole
idea of concrete roads with one shake
of the head OF shrug OF the shoulders:
but II our county commissioners will
approach the problem from an intelli-
gent and unprejudiced point Of view,
and have no doubt whatever that they
VIII, and study the problem of concrete
roads at first hand in California. il is
safe to conclude that they will expend
at least a considerable portion Of the
proceeds Of the new bond issue in Civ
ing FL Paso county some roads which
viii not inside Of three years, 20 to
pieces and become very much worse
than an ordinary dirt road
The people Of this county don't want
any more corduroy roads like We now
have between here and Anthony Let
us either be content with a good gravel
road Of economical cost such as New
|Hn 100 EHmr lot Es.#