The Prescott daily news., 1916-08-11
AMERICAN STANDARD GOOD ROADS HAS BEEN
 DEVISED AT LAST

The American standard road has at last been devised, and when adopted generally it will mean relief from the uneconomic hit-or-miss methods at tending present construction of mis- cellaneous types of roads. It in- fringes upon no patents and wipes out the costly competition between manu- lecturers of road materials, thus ef fecting saving of S2,000 to S5.OO0 q mile in the cost of permanent roads
 The American standard road is everybody's road from the standpoint of satisfactory service and economy. It is nobody's road in the sense im- piled by the use of a single material. It combines the best properties of three types of familiar roads-the stone of the old macadam road, the asphalt of the bituminous macadam road and the Portland cement of the concrete road.
 The stone of course is used throughout. The cement is used for a concrete foundation and the natural asphalt for an asphalt macadam wearing surface. Thus each material is confined to the purpose which it is best adapted
 Monroe county, Nich., is building 10 miles of the new type of road for less than $l2,000 a mile. And this price includes 6-inch concrete curb at the sides of the 5-inch concrete base. The specifications also call for a Pinch Bermudez or natural asphalt macadam wearing surface, so as to insure a resilient and lasting top adapted to both horse and motor traf- fife. The Michigan road will cost 5000 a mile less than an all-con- crete road. The price of the latter, according to the latest announcement of the Portland Cement Association, is now S15,000 mile.
 But the Michigan road was not de- vised as an experiment. A few ex- amples of the type were built years ago, thus affording a long time test some of them covering a period of ten years. However, experience with separate types of roads has shown that in the case of country roads sub jected to horse and motor traffic, asphalt macadam makes an ideal wearing surface, while it has also been demonstrated that no founda- ton material exceeds concrete in dur ability and strength. Hence the com bnatiou not only makes for efficiency but low initial cost and minimum maintenance. The latter important economies are obtained through sim Irided methods of construction and hy reducing the quantities of cement and asphalt required for separate types of roads, but without sacrifice of stability and satisfactory service.
 Thus there is available at last d permanent road of approximately the cost of water-bomd macadam, a type of highway that will become still cheaper when methods of construc- ton are thoroughly standardized. | These roads, with their attractive and elastic asphalt wearing surfaces, sharply defined curb lines and un- yielding concrete foundations, will become the rule, once the public learns of their low initial cost. No desirable feature of any other type of road has been eliminated. The com posite road can not be transformed Into mud or dust No boulevard O. park road presents a more even and attractive surface Its adoption will simplify matters for the engineer and contractor making good results more certain, but most important is the saving to the taxpayer through great Fly reduced initial cost and low main teuance.-Atlanta Constitution. q