The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-11-04
HOW TO CARE FOR
ROADS IN WINTER
Keep bitches and Drains Open and
Use Road Drag to Prevent In
jury by Freezing Weather.

Water, not cold, is the cause of the
deterioration of roads in winter, ac
cording to the road specialists of the
department. Cold weather does not
in itself injure roads. no matter whe-
ther they are earth, gravel or macad
am. 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 oc-
cupies considerable more space than
the water from which it is formed,
and every person who has lived in a
cold climate is familiar with the pow
erful bursting effect of water when
left to freeze in confined vessel
The same action takes place when a
wet road freezes to any considerable
depth. 1t simply bursts, or, as we
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, a
gravel or macadam road may be prac-
tically destroyed, while an earth road
may become entirely impossible.
A dry road will not heave. Rock,
gravel, sand, and even clay when per-
fectly dry contract slightly on freez-
ing. In order to expand on freezing,
these materials must contain or be
mixed with water, and the more wa
ter they contain the greater is the eX-
pansion which takes place. But so
long as the road remains frozen the
damage does not become apparent.
Hence the frequent and erroneous
idea that it is the thaw that Injuries
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. KeeT
the water out of the road. The time
to begin preventive measures is early
in the fall, before the rains begin. i
the road goes into the winter thor
oughly dry, with the surface anC
drainage in good condition, The
chances are extremely favorable tina
it will come out all right the follow
ing spring.
Keep the bitches and drains open
Remove all accumulations of weeds
grass, etc, which tend to retain mois
ture and obstruct drainage. Further
more, do this work early, while thu
ground is still dry and hard. Vege
tation and litter hold water like ;
sponge and allow it gradually to soal
in and soften the earth. The job be
fore the road man is to keep the hare
dry surface formed in the summe
time from becoming SOftened by thu
fall and winter rains and SHOWS
When the fall rains begin the eartl
or gravel road should be dragge(
frequently to precent the formation
of ruts and the collection of water
All raveled places on macadam sur
faces should be carefully filled in ant
consolidated.
During the winter, whenever
thaw is coming on, the cross drains
and side bitches should be opened III
as far as possible so as to prevent wa
ter collecting along the roadway. |
the thaw is so pronounced that th'
roadway is softened, the drag should
be used; sometimes one round tril
of the dray, with the hitch reversed
will entirely rid the earth road o
slush and melting snow and leav'
the road surface practically dry
Don't get the idea that the drag i
not needed on your earth and grave
roads in the winter time. Instead
keep it where you can get at it read
ily. for if the winter is an ordinar.
one you will need it many times.
Winter destruction begins in tn
early fall. The best way to preven
such destruction is to forstall II
Keep the road dry and remember tha
so long as it remains so it will not b
seriously injured by frost. Keep tn
drains open, the bitches clear, remov
all vegetation and litter, and use tn
drag frequently. If the road is KEEP
dry to depth of feet below the sur
face there will be little trouble fror
the coldest weather.