Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-01-27

State. These highways are divided
into three distinct classes, as follows:
State highways, county highways, and
town highways.
The State highways aggregate $500
miles, or about four and one-half per
cent. of the total mileage of the State,
and constitute the main arteries or
through routes of travel connecting
the larger centcrs of population, and
form the backbone or foundation
from which radiate the other systems
of highways.
The county highways include $500
miles, or about eleven per cent. of the
total road mileage of the State, in
Guiding the main market roads which
form properly connected and we'll
developed local systems of highways
in each county OF the State.
The town highways include the
remaining $500 miles. These high
laterals or feeders of the State and
county systems.
The cost OF the construction of the
I State highways is borne entirely by
! the State. The cost Of the construc-
ton OF the county highways is borne
| jointly by the State and the county.
| The cost of the town highways is
/ borne jointly by the State and by the
| town.
1t was in 1914, however, that the
maintenance and repair of these
highways was taken ur in systematic
manner, as prior TO that year. little
J.. Il ,y,,rn +.,t
roads the careful attention that they
deserved. The completed highways
were in various conditions of useful
ness. The more recently constructed
roads were, generally speaking, in
fairly serviceable condition, and were
in need of but ordinary repairs. On
the earlier constructed roads, how
ever, the wearing surfaces were in
most cases entirely worn out, but
| the foundation course was LETT intact.
| Some OF the wearing surfaces, al
though they were not entirely worn
out, were extremely rough, and were
not fit Tor ordinary travel But still
other roads were entirely worn out,
both the foundation and the wearing
surface having been destroyed. All
of these conditions, it was recognized
by the new officials of the State Com
mission OF Highways, could have been
| avoided had the roads been attended
to as they should, and maintenance
| have been established in a systematic
manner after the roads had been COM
| pleted and turned over to the State.
The officials OF the Commission real
| ,,aI tl,pt aoSl ,,f ti,a snnI,t,n,,c
toned required a different form OF
treatment, so special study was
made of each class. This procedure
was ir striking contrast to previous
methods that had been employed, as
previously, repairs and maintenance
had been planned for particular con-
ditions, but were applied i'll a hap
hazard manner in the various sections
OF the State without regard to the
special defects that were to be
remedied.
1t was OH December 1, 1914, how
ever. that the Department was re-
organized, at which time the division
engineers, selected in accordance
with the statute from the ci, i service
list, assumed Office and began the
performance of their duties and the
complete reorganization of methods
that had been planned by the officials.
Maintenance and repair work was
Immediately systematzed, and TIE
decision was made to make main
tenance continuous on the highways
instead of intermittent, as had been
the case in past years. The funda-
mental principal in mind was to pre-
serve the bottom course and the drain
age, which with the cost OF the grad
ing in the original construction,
represented two-thirds OF the total
cost of the lc ad, so that this two
thirds OF the Highway could be per-
manently kept free from expense and
repair.
The general method which was in
stalled at that time, and which has
been so succc ssful that it is still gen.
orally in use today, was as follows.
| Ordinary repairs on the less worn
highways were made by patrolmer
who were paid three dollars per day.
and who were appointed by the head
Of the Maintenance Department.
Each patrolman was assigned to
about five miles of highway. He fur
nished a horse and wagon, and the
minor tools and implements which
re uses in his work. The Department
furnishes him with the various sizes
Of broken stone, sand, heating
kettles, and all bituminous material
With this equipment on the lesser
Travelled highways, the patrolman has
been able to maintain the wearing
surface in frst-class condition, to pre-
serve intact the bottom course and to
reduce the cost of transportation to
minimum.
In roads which were not much
worn or heavily travelled and in the
vicinity of the large centers of pop.
ulaton, it was found necessary &c