Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-10-05
Personal Talks on Ohio Roads
State Highuay Commissioner Clinton Co,oen

country Is comparatively level or nat,
the surface of the road should be built
somewhat above the general level of
the ground, where possible, so that it
will not be readily affected by the
ground water during wet seasons.
Travellers on the highways have no.
ticed that roads, especially of the
earth and gravel type, are much bet
ter on slopes and inclines than where
the road is fairly level, and no doubt
it has occurred to them that sufficient
drainage conditions provided on the
incline and slopes are the essential
reasons for the good road surfaces at
these points, while the lack of drain
age accounts, in large measure, for
the bad surfaces at the other places.
Some types of road surfaces, such as
concrete and brick, do not indicate
defects due to bad drainage so quickly
as roads of the macadam type, but
the destructive agency, due to lack
of proper drainage. is sure to develop
and prove very costly indeed. a good
road is always well drained road. l
believe there are no exceptions to this
rule under climatic conditions as they
exist in Ohio. However, the drainage
may be natural, due to the character
of the soil or contour of the land.
To secure adequate drainage for
most roads, proper side bitches are re-
Quired and to provide such side bitches
, and drains, in addition to suitable
widths of pavement and shoulders,
liberal right of way must be at the
disposal of the road builder.
1t is seldom that less than so feet
and quite often an even greater tract
is necessary. Most of the highways,
as originally designated by law. called
for right Of way account of the in
creasing value of land, property own
ers have often fenced in n part of the
public road and subsequently, tele-
phone and telegraph companies have
ben guided by these fences in estab
fishing their poles and lines. and even
electric railways have located without
proper consideration of the public road
limits. Whenever n highway to be
| improved is crowded in this manner.
there results long and serious delays in
| going forward with the Improvement.
considerable expense on the part OF
| property owners, companies and cor
porations occupying the public high
way without authority.
There are now instances where
County Commissioners have in the
past allowed electric railways to oc-
cupy practically all the right t-of-way
designated for public road purposes,
and other cases where the highways
have been so encroached upon by
tracks as to make their use danger
Gus for all classes of vehicles. Be
fore highways can now be construct
| ed in these cases, which will offer
safety and convenience to the public.
new and expensive right-o way must
be secured and distractions removed,
which in nearly all cases means long
drawn out litigation.
The Importance of maintaining all
right for public roads free
from obstruction can not be too clear
ly and forcibly emphasized. Forum
ately, the new highway law provides
that there shall be no changes or al
| teratiOnS of the inter-county system
or distractions placed thereon with
ont first securing the consent and ap-
! proval of the State Highway Commits
sioner. In this manner this trouble
some and highly important matter is
submitted to the Highway Department
where the best interest of the whole
State road system receives considera-
tion over all other factors-and the
people of Ohio have every reason to
expect the preservation of their public
1, road system, which means so much
for the present and future develop
ment of the State.