The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1917-03-30

ly demonstrated in New York City,
where trucks hauling from the sub
way to the dump absolutely destroy
ed several streets, and again the
question arises, shall the State con-
tinue building highways to bo de-
stroyed by extra heavy trucks, or re-
strict the weight of them. We no
doubt could maintain our roads with
the present truck traffic on them, but
everybody realizes that the age of
the truck is just dawning, and, in q
few years, our main highways will
be carrying a traffic unthought of a
few years back (and the horse will
be the exception) as the truck was a
few years ago.
1t is argued by truck owners that
road should be built to carry any
weight of vehicle that might be
found advantageous to use. This is
unreasonable, for, when our early
roads were built, the truck had not
put in its appearance, and if we're
at once with the latest type of con-
struction, with the same percentage
of increase in the weight of trucks
in the next three years as in the past
three years, no type of road known
at the present time to road builders
would stand the strain. AS an ex-
ample The first macadam road was
built by the Maryland Geological
and Economic Survey along the
Washington Boulevard. This sec
ton of road has been maintained as
the other roads that have been built
since, but last spring it suddenly
gave way. There were few slight
depressions on the surface and our
Engineering Department thought it
simply needed repairing, but upon
investigation found that an internal
wear had taken place, which was
produced by the heavy trucks NOV
ing the roadbed and causing one
stone to grind against the other
until they were reduced to powder.
This is form of wear which was
unnoticed before the advent of
heavy trucks.
This Commission, anticipating
the truck traffic of the future, is
building a higher and costlier type
Of road than was formerly the rule,
and, while it will run up the cost
per mile of road, it feels, from past
experience, that it will be justified.
We are now taking census of all
traffic over our important roads with
y view of arriving at maintenance
cost per ton mile of every character
Of vehicle that passes over our diff
ferent types Of construction, which
should be of great value and assist
ance in future construction and
maintenance AS an illustration,
we find that the Belair Road is
carrying about 1000 tons of mer-
chandise per day, besides other mix
ed light traffic. Park Heights
Avenue had about the same traffic,
md this avenue, before the recon
struction of the Reistertown Road
carried all of the traffic north of
Belvidere Avenue as far as the Park
gate, where the light traffic was
separated and went through the
Park, while the heavy traffic, owing
to a city ordinance, was prohibited
from going through the Park. AS
comparison, we have a letter from
Mr.. Manning, superintendent OF
Parks, in which he states that the
cost of maintaining the road from
he park entrance through the Park
20 North Avenue amounted to about
$250.00 per mile per year, and we
estimate that it costs to carry the
combined traffic on Park Heights
Avenue from Belvidere Avenue to
he Park gate about $S50.00 per
mile per year, which indicates that
the heavy traffic on that section of
Park Heights Avenue costs about
100000 per mile per year.