The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1917-01-31

! tnOuknt well 10 BlNe tuls pTOpOslllOH n
good try-out In that county. Accurate
costs are being kept of the work In
order to compare same with the costs
of other work throughout the state
which is being done either by force
account or by contract. II might be
said that the work Is progressing rap
idly and the prisoners are we'll pleased
with the new outdoor work.
Prior to the year 1915 very little
concrete bridge or culvert work was
done in the State of Kentucky, except
in three or four counties, but, after the
passage OF the State Aid bill by the
1914 session of the Legislature, all
bridge and culvert work which has
been done on meteorological roads
81 Kentucky has been designed by the
Department Of Public Roads. All
structures are designed to carry with
safety a fifteen-ton traction engine.
and, 1t is the opinion of the authorities
in charge, such loading is suihciently
severe to meet the needs of present
and future traffic on the country roads.
Owing to the limited head room, the
reinforced concrete box type of culvert
has been adopted as standard, and dur
ing the year 1915 about four hundred
were built throughout the state. Dur.
ing the year 1916 more than twice that
number will be be built.
The slab type of bridge is usually
built for all spans up to 20 feet, except
where the head walls will permit the
ct" beam type is used from sixteen to
twenty feet. From twenty to thirty
| feet-or more the ct" beam or through
girder type Is built, and it is now the
practice to make all drainage struc.
lures permanent at least up to span
Of thirty feet.
County officials throughout the state
are well pleased with the concrete
drainage structures, as they realize it
represents a permanent investment,
and 1t is noticeable fact, where such
structures are introduced in a county,
no trouble is experienced IN having con-
crete structures built, even though in
some cases the cost is considerably
higher than some other temporary
type.
Standards have now been prepared
for culvert up to SKI; slab bridge up
to twenty-foot span and ct" beams and
through Orders up to thirty-foot span.
Contractors throughout the state are
becoming well accustomed to their
use.
Only recently the state Office sent
letters to every county Judge, county
attorney and county road engineer in
the state, requesting that the counties
Immediately apply for state aid and
designate the roads to be built during
1917. 1t is not necessary for a county
that has voted bonds to again apply
for state aid if they have at one time
applied since the voting of the bond
Issue, but a statement should be sent
to the Office showing the amount of
money which has been levied, etc, for
road and bridge purposes during the
year 1916. Such procedure is neces-
sary in order that the bond issue coun.
ties may be apportioned their 1917 al
lotment.
1t is earnestly hoped that the coun-
ties will realize the Importance of ap-
plying for state aid Immediately and
securing an engineer to make the
necessary surveys. 1t is the experience
of the state office that engineers who
are capable of doing that class of work
are rather hard to find at the present
time because construction work has
started up in earnest all over the coun-
try and engineers in general are all
employed.
For the past two years the work In
most of the counties has not been be-
gun soon enough to insure its compile
ton during the working season, and it
is strongly recommended that surveys
tor the 1917 road work be done in the
winter months. These can be approved
blue printed, ETC., and contracts let
before the road season opens. Such a
procedure will allow contractors to
more or less group their work and
make definite plans early in the sea-
son, and will in the end insure much
CucdpcT WOIh anu dibO insure ltS COLI
pletion at time when it will be most
beneficial to the travelling public.
Photographs of several bridges and
culverts and various types of roads
which have been built under the state
aid plan are shown so as to enable the
public to see in general way the
class Of work which has been done.
The state-aid law provides that the
various counties shall maintain the
roads which have been and are being
improved under state aid. To date
only few counties are paying any at
tention to this phase Of the work.
which Is beyond doubt one Of the most
important features. Where no atten- /
ton is paid to maintenance. the roads
will have to be resurfaced at the end |
Of three or four years, which will in
volve a considerable expenditure of
money. 1t is suggested that a county |
can make no better investment than
to inaugurate the patrol system. A
few loads of stone and screening can
be dumped along the road at intervals
Of about an eighth of a mile and Ona