The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1915-04-24

Improvement. Inc writer was aS-
signed to advise with those engi.
neers and the Police Jury.
A rough preliminary survey was
made, and sufficient data was OBJ
tanned by the consulting engineers
to make approximate estimates OF
the necessary grading, draining,
bridging, etc., and prices were OBJ
tanned on different materials for
surfaciog the road.
The President of the Police Jury.
the two consulting engineers. and
the writer made a trip to New Or
leans and Plaquemine, Louisiana,
and inspected she'll and gravel roads
in St. Bernard parish, aid roads
built of screened gravel with binder
added in Iberville parish near
Plaquemine.
GRADING AND DRAINING. - The
amount of grading to be done is
very light, preparing proper sub
grade. and making shoulders from
side bitches being all that is necces
sary over the greater portion of the
work. For about one fourth of the
distance, the subgrade will require
special attention as the soil is a
''buckshot clay not readily drained.
The road follows at varying dis
tances the Bayou Teche and the en-
gineers by means OF frequent cross
culverts, side bitches and outlet
bitches to the Bayou. seem to have
provided for sufficient drainage.
SURFAc1Nd. In an informal re-
port to the Road Committee the
consulting engineers indicated that
they would recommend that bids be
received on the following types OF
roads:
Clam shell-l2' loose measure
with cementing sand clay binder.
Pit run gravel" loose measure
in thickness.
Screened gravel-6' or y loose
measure with cementing sand clay
binder.
The width of the roadway to be
"a and of surfaclng 16' except
where traffic is light less width
might be adopted irfunds available
would not permit of constructing all
16'.
For a time the writer felt that
there was a tendency in the minds
of some members of the Road Com
mittee to reduce the thickness of
the surfacing in order to be able to
build more miles of road. The en-
gineers and Road COMMITTEE were
strongly advised not to sacrifice
quality for quantity. because thick
ness OF types OF roads proposed is
less than that usually specified.
A slope of J" to tn, foot over
surfaced portion of road is recon-
mended.
MAINTENANCE.-The Police Jury
are strongly advised to provide an
nually sufficient funds for the prop
er main tenance of the highway. The
consulting engineers have asked that
5000 per year be provided for main
tanning each mile of the proposed
highway.
RIGHT OF. WAY.--As right Of way
will be- more difficult to obtain later
after the improvement is completed,
it would be wise if the Police Jury
would at this time secure right Of
way of not less than CO., even though
this width is not necessary for the
construction OF the proposed i'm
provement. Sometime additional
right way may be necessary and
it will then be more expensive to
obtain
Considering that bonds are to run
for period of twenty one years. and
that the surfaced portion OF highway
will cost from Is per cent to 80 per
cent of the total cost of the improve
ment, the urgent need Of the i'm
provement is the excuse for not
building more permanent type of
pavement.
The attached specifications for
preparing subgrade and shoulders.
and constructing. gravel road are
submitted.
(5igned)
=. ii. SWEETSER,
Senior Highway Engineer.
March l. 1915.
The President submitted to the
Police Jury for their acceptance.
the specifications, drawn up by
the Advisory Engineers. EN- ploy ed
by the Parish of st. Mary for that
purpose, duly approved by the
Good Roads Commission appoint
ed by the Police Jury as Specia!
Advisory Com mittee to itself
The President fully stated that,
under the authority given him by
the Police Jury at its last meeting,
ne had settled in full, with the APP
prevail and recommendation of the
said Good Roads Commiasion.