The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-09-23
How Wide Should
OulROads Be?
BY Jake Miles

Ian one is StruCk WIN Wnat IOH'h-
Ell Henry Watterson of Louisville
Courier Journal calls the prodigal
waste of land in road construction.
Along this line the Country Gentle
man recently declared editorially:
Some day we shall learn in Amer
lea the simple lesson learned long
ago in older lands, that when road
is wide enough to carry the traffic
1t need not be any wider. Then we
can economic on road maintenance
and convert to the uses of agriculture
many thousands of acres now inglor-
iously idle"
Here is a hint to the new coun-
ties of Utah, and in fact to the coun.
ty commissioners and road builders
generally of the state. Utah's system
of requiring four rod country road
the eastern states, but these states
are slowly coming to the conclusion
that 66 foot road is absolutely too
wide for requirements.
It Is argued that farm wagon is
little less than five feet wide and
that on a rod highway twelve wag-
ons could stand side by side and not
scrape hub. Each mile or these
roadways contains eight acres of val
liable land. Much OF It Is capable OF
raising every year 60 bushels of oats
to sugar beets or 100 bushels OF oats
to the acre. With one rod road
there is a saving for agricultural
purposes OF six acres to the mile of
Utah country highways; with a two
rod highway there is a saving of four
acres to the mile, which might rep
resent $40 bushels of wheat, so tons
OF sugar beets or 400 bushels of oats
each year.
! In England, Germany, France and
other European countries thousands
of miles of the best roads are only
one rod wide. These permit three
teams to pass. 1t Is estimated that
In Iowa alone 10000 acres OF its
finest lands are worse than wasted
by the rod road, and in Kansas
$4,000 acres made everlastingly idle.
In Utah this wasted acreage amounts
into tens of thousands Of acres OF
the states most valuable lands; lands
now dedicated to the raising OF weeds
TO pest the farmer. These broad
acres should evE'y year be yielding
up hundreds of thousands of bushels
OF grains or other farm products. It
Is estimated that these double row
ribbons of weeds which are found
grazing, or, better disgracing. practi-
cally every highway in the state,
more than supply each season all the
adjoining farms.
Relative to the matter of road
building, the Courier Journal of Au-
gust 10 says, and every world is APP
plicabie to Utah today.
It may be added that a we'll main.
, tanned road a rod or a rod and a half
wide. with trees along either side is
much more agreeable to drive over
than a road three or four rods wide
which can never be shaded and
must always be an intolerably hot
sun reflector during summer. Left
unoiled, 1t is glaring and trying to
the eyes. Oiled, 1t gives Off heat
like a stove, II would cost much
less to line every mile of public road
with forset trees whose spreading
branches would in time shade the en-
tire road, than to make the macad-
am surface three or four rods wide
And foreCet trees entail only a small
upkeep expense. increasing in beauty
dignity and usefulness by the mere
lapse OF time.
II long distance travel by automo.
bile Is to be made a pleasure in sum
mer for other than scorchers who do
not mind being scorched II must be
made SO by tree lined highways.
Trees may be planted at small ex.
pense. They should be included In
construction contracts as a necessary
part OF road making.
II Is folly to neglect tree planting
and to allow trees already standing
to be mutilated by telephone compa
MES or cut down by any owner OF
abutting property who chooses to at
tack them with the ak.
How grateful Is every driver fol-
the occasional stretch OF shaded road
Yet where Is there a we'll organized
propaganda in behalf Of making the
shaded road the rule instead Of the
rare exception?