The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-02-17

Att fNtANhlAth MthitFt 80 q ~ ttAAtN
account Of road work accomplished il
Bennington County during the sum
mer of 1915 under the direction o
Mr.. James l.. Davis, County Super
visor Of Highways. Mr. Davis is main
tanned jointly by the State Depart
Imcnt Of Highways and the Bcnning
/ ton County Association. The remain
ing half Of this article viii appear
next week
/ Bennington County Road Construction
During 1915
The width 81 the standard road
specified by the State Highway Com
missioner is p feet, This may be the
distance between the bottoms Of the
bitches on the two sides Of the road if
the bitches are shallow enough SO that
in turning out, a wheel might safely
be run along the bottom. This condi-
ton is found when crossing fiat lands
and in cuts. More often, on one side
at least there is an embankment or
I'm. If the fin is as much as even one
/ foot in heigh. the base Of the road
embankment will have to be more than
/ q feet wide, varying with the height
t Of the embankment. In all cases a q
feet width means that the road should
be so built tina: there is a width Of q
feet available for travel.
In special eases road may be wider
or narrower. For example, road
approaching a village might be "a feet
wide or mountain road Is feet.
The selected gravel or the crushed
stone may be spread to less than the
full width of the road, l6 and Is feet
being The most common widths, the
shoulders being of earth or inferior
gravel. The road has a crown or side
slope of about one foot. This may be
increased on steep grades in order to
throw surface water into the bitches
quickly. The steepest grades allow
able have not been specified by the
State Highway Commissioner, noi |
would it be wise 20 do so, as grades in
different localities can best be determ-
med according to local conditions. In
Bennington County during the past
two years it has been found practical
usually not to exceed s per cent
grades 6 feet rise in 100 feet horl-
zontal distance). Care is taken to re-
duce grades below per cent where II
can be done without great cost The
steepest grade built on any mountain
road within the past two years is IL
per cent.
With these figures in mind an idea
Is readily formed of what has been
accomplished in the improvements
listed below and unnecessary repeti
ion will be avoided. The policy is to
.ebuild the worst places first. These
improvements therefore mean that US
lallv one of the narrowest, or crook
,dest, or muddicst places, or one of
he worst hills in the vicinity has been
eplaced by a road built to the above
standards. When q less
width than q feet has been built II
win be so stated.
The following was done during the q
eason of 1915: i
lrIington:
The East Arlington road was com +
leted, finishing near the r. r. sta =
on. This gives a continuously inn !
roved road from the r. r. station to
asst Arlington. Stone base was used ..
it'll gravel surface. Length, 4412 +,
DDS. On the Sandgate road ley Hill =
ne-third mile north Of the West Ar :,
ngton road, was rebuilt The old
,ad was on a sIoping slate ledge with
wet. clayey spot at the foot Of the
ILL., The rock at the side and in the n
,ad bed was cut away, the hollow
led at the foot Of the Hill, grade re- o.
iced and surface graveled. stone =
use was used and retaining wall n
tilt at the lower side. This work IS +
start on one end Of a long stretch
.dly needing improvement. Length II
rods, width Is feet
VI
The road was completed from the be
.lage line south to meet 1914 work &c
dangerous turn was reduced. Over VIZ
e half the length has stone base and IA
e entire length is graveled. This Gu
mpletes the improvement of the en- I'm
e road from the village to Pownal bu
G Length l65 rods. an
West Road. The improvement was roc
Jun for the entire distance from