The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-11-02
The Hauehton Highway.


Saturday of last week Hon, J. r.
Many, of Plain Dealing, member of the
Police Jury from Ward Three, and one
OF the Banners reporters went over into
Ward Six to witness construction work
on the Red Chute to Haughton gravel
road. Mr.. Many, having in view con-
siderable road work for his own ward.
was after first-hand information as to
how to proceed.
Near Haughton we were fortunate in
overtaking in the old public road Mr..
c. G. Capped, State Bridge and Office
Engineer, who is in charge of the pres
ent road work in District No. 2, and
who very obligingly made plain to US
many of the details of the work.
Grading on that stretch of the road
leading from Red Chute to Haughton
was at that time nearly completed in the
rough and gravel on a two-mile stretch
was in place. Bridges and culverts for
four miles of the distance had been put
In. Twenty eight teams are engaged in
hauling gravel and seventeen teams
were then busy on the grading work.
Work was begun about May 18th, and
Mr.. Capple said he expected to complete
the road into Haughton within sixty
days and finish up the entire contract by
February 18th. He thinks the fund in
sight will be sufficient to build on to the
parish line and also put in the Fillmore
spur.
Sand-clay gravel, which material is
now being used because washed gravel
cannot be secured, is costing rs cents
per cubic yard delivered at Adner. As
soon as it can be had washed gravel,
bound with II per cent of sand and clay
to be obtained along the line of work, is
to be used. Mr.. Capple expressed a
preference for this material, which he
thinks is also more economical than the
other. The washed gravel will cost Silt
per cubic yard delivered at Haughton.
The rightofway for this road is 80 feet,
with N-foot crown. The bitches are
8 feet in width, with 211s to slope on
the road side and to 1 slope on their
outer side. The width of the gravel on
Red Chute hill is 16 to Is feet, but this
is graduated down to 10 feet on top of
the hill, and that remains the regulation
width from that point on. However, it
is flared and shows width of Ii feet on
the roads surface. This width, it is
claimed will permit of an economical
widening of the surfaeing material g
feet on each side) in the future when in
creased traffic will make it necessary.
The depth of the surfacing material is s
inches over all, the crown being in the
subgrade.
The Red Chute hill, which formerly
boosted treacherous roadway, and
sometimes little better than none at all,
has lost its dread to teamster and team.
Though the soil at that point is quite
sandy, thus making permanent road
construction difficult, this and other OBJ
stacles seem to have been overcome, and
a pretty stretch of road, showing a
graceful curve, is to be seen. It's rise in
the first 3O0foot stretch is per cent,
graduated up to per cent before the
top of the hill is reached. Asked how
he would attempt to hold such soil in
place, Mr.. Capple said he would plant
on the sides of the dump honeysuckle
vines Their roots will form bond in
the soil and the leaves and vines will
furnish shelter from beating rains. So
this would seem happy thought.
Before departing we were asked to
walk under the Red Chute bridge and
inspect it: Many of the timbers of its
.substructun have about rotted away and
how it manages to stand and sustain the
weight of the loads that pass over it is
only guess with the writer. Perhaps,
as the engineer suggested, it is only
through habit that it does. The bridge
is now dangerous and should be con-
demned. 1t will soon have to be rebuilt
and it seems a pity that there are no
funds on hand at this time with which to
construct bridge in keeping with the
excellence of the new roadway. We
were informed that substantial con-
crete bridge, the plan for which has
been drawn, could be put in for $1,000,
and that the State Highway Department
has offered to bear half the cost. In
view of that exceptional offer, would it
not be advisable for our parish authori-
ties to resort to strenuous ends in an
effort to raise the necessary fund?
But to get back to the new road. It is
a pleasing sight, ever inviting, and will
for years to come prove a pleasure and a
source ct profit to the residents of Bos-
sier Parish. Its construction, as has
been witnessed in like instances, will
mean the planning of more such roads
for other portions of the parish.
The Walker School