Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-03
WOULD REORGANlzE
STATE ROAD WORK

WOULD REORGANIzE
STATE ROAD WORK
Continued from tirs, page)
fancy road may he cons.,nrtch. hcing
connected IN many cases with Inu,,
Roads In each Side.
| The Improvement OF all mnin-trav-
eled roads to general average. con.
siAtrnt with traffic conditions and
REGULAR maintenance. arc fundamen.
tai features OF road development
These PRINCIPLES must tie recognized
, In tho virginia road law before We
can hope for any genuine and com
prehensive road Improvement.
A central agency, such ns the State
| Highway Commission, II Its activiti ii
ara properly confined. can perform,
mnny useful functions. Acting In m
! advisory capacity to local communi-
needed: II can coordinate the stand
ard of road construction: 1t cnn pro-
tcct the States interest and enforce
the mandatory provisions OF the law.
MAN tGEMBNT OF ROADS
! ESSENTIALLY Local.
/ Hut tho economical construction and
maintenance Of roads necessarily is
largely a matter OF local control, AMI
! the management OF ronds Is essential
~ local
! The fault Of the Highway Commits
sion. which Is inherent In the system
upon which IL liz organized. Is that Il
sends out agents often totally IN
familiar with local conditions, whose
| Interference results In wastefui man
/ nRcments and overhead costs entirely
out II proportion to the money
spent
| After tho Highway Commission has
accepted an engineer employed by the
counties. what sense IL there In put I.
ting over him some member OF the
staff OF the Richmond office? In many
instances these engineers employed by
IN" counties are more competent be-
cause more familiar with local condi-
/, lions than the young men sent OUT
from the office OF tho Highway Com.
mission.
Certainly local authorities who nut
un half Of the money for State con.
structton and all the money for other
rond construction are untitled to con :
sidcration m to the nature of the road
to he built. the location and other ,lc
tails.
ROAD CONSTRUCTION
SHOULD NE STANDARDIzED
In nay opinion. State-nid road con-
struc'ion In Virginia should be stand
nrdizcd. The Highway Commission
shoull he an advisory bureau Ia the
| local officials with sufficient author
. ity Z" see that the law In carried out
hut should not be vested with ,h,.
control of the actual expenditure or
tn" funds, providing competent md
approved engineers are employed nv
the locality.
The types OF roads 10 which State.
Md furda can no applied should 10
clearly defined by law, and state funds
should only be applied to such stand
ard typaa.
State-atd roads should he a atimulus
ana incentive TO localities to extend
road construction. hut .nstnad OF TINT
the manner In which the State. MD rond
ley of Virginia has actually retarded
road Improvement. Tho people are
thoroughly dissatisfied with tho bro.
visions OF the present law. with the
construction Of an infiexiblc high cost
type and excessive overhead cost
The Valley counties where limestone
the best rond material, Is nvaiiablc
arc actually penaiized under the exist
Ing lh". as tho Stnte Highwn:. Com
mission iruuircs the construction OF 4
water bound. mncadam road costing
from $4,000 TO $4,000 per mile, while
In other actions Il Is permitted TO
build. with State aid, sand-cIay roads
costing about $500 per mile.
WOULD USE NATURAL
ADVANTAGES OF LOCALITY
II has frequently been demonstrates
that durable and excellent roads can
he constructed by rough limestone.
with nnal application OF iimcston-
OF smaller size. without the expense
OF water binding. The action OF traffic
VIII soon pulrerizc the limestone. anil
tho particles will quickly cement to
solid bed. presenting nt the end of
several months n smooth and uniform
surface. Such roads cost from 800 TO
pa~ In
az durable HI Stase-atd roads costing
from $4,000 to $1,000 per mile
The law SHOULD have sufficient fext-
billy to utilize tho native material
In different sections In tho mcat eco
nomical manner. Many ronds In out
lying diatricta can nc permanently I'M.
| proved by reducing the grades. crown.
ing. dttchins and culverting, The i'm.
provcmfnt Of such roads should no
permitted with state aid. which can
he done at small cost. State AID .hould
also be available for the erection Of
bridges and construction Of cuiyerts
OUTLINES AMENDMENTS
To NE INTRODUCED
will Introduce at the coming .es-
sion amendments to the present daw a,
follows:
% To provide for regular malnte-
nance NJ reasonable overhead cost.
CD i" locnliES tho expenditure OF
'hC ,o'u' Iunu. pOtn Tor cOnStruC-
tan and maintenance. NO FAR nv Il Ia
consistent with Judicious d,shurse-
ment. and thereby reduce the present
excessive administrative cost.
az TO give hexibiliiy to the law. 30
ms TO permit the Improvement with
State aid OF four types of road vary
Ing in coat. 30 as TO he adaptable 10
the conditions prevailing In different
localities. and to utilize the native ma :
terials TO the best advantage.
% TO give the Board Of Superyisora