Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1919-06-18
FEDERAL AIDED GOOD ROADS.
Some Statements About the Manner
Of Construction, and Results.

| 1h'ii"au VI Tie State highway Com
mission, recently gave statement to
the press in which he outlined the
policy which the commission hns
adopted in constructing sections of
the South Carolina highway system
with the financial aid of the Federal
government.
The commissioners will see," said
Major Thomas, that the roads in
the State highway system have the
best possible location with reference
TO their terminal points, sufficient
width tnot less than 80 fee) to
carey present and prospective traffic,
the lowest possible grade Gin no
case more than per cent?, and that
the drainage structures are built for
permanence. After giving It the best
location, sufficient width, a minimum
grade and permanent drainage struc-
lures, the State Highway Commission
| Will not attempt to decide arbitrar-
lily whether road is to be hard
surfaced or surfaced with some local
material, as this Is factor which
must be controlled by the amount of
money available for use on any par
ticular stretch OF road"
Major Thomas pointed out the
close analogy between railroad and
a highway. He said that in this
state there are railroads located
three-quarters Of century ago, the
roadbeds Of which occupy the same
location determined by the first en-
gineers who worked on them. These
engineers made the grades low and
the locations the best obtainable, al
though they did not provide many
permanent drainage structures.
When the railroads were first laid,
fimsy cross-ties and lightweight rails
were put on the roadbeds-some Of
the rails made of timber topped by
iron strips. With the increase of
traffic and heavier trains the fimsy
cross-ties and lightweight rails were
replaced from time to time until now
on all standard railroads there are
90-pound rails and heavy cross-ties,
ballasted by crushed stone. ''The
surface Of State highway, built of
some local material, can be compared
point for point, with the small cross
ties and lightweight rails laid on
railroad roadbeds three-quarters Of
a century ago." continued Major
Thomas. "The highway surface of
~ u TO, tnl l,p
it wears out, and if money is avail
able a hard surface, made of i'm
ported material, can be laid, which
will then h"'"" the highway up to
highway enthusiasts is more anxious
than the State Highway Commission
to see every road in t"o State hard
surfaced, but such surfacing is mat
ter Of money, while the States needs
for roads which will be dry in wet
weather and afford means for haul
| ing at low cost between sections Of
| the State now isolated in bad wea-
ther, is a pressing need, and one
which we cannot relegate to some
indefinite date when this State or
its counties have money enough to
put hard surfaces on all their roads
"The roads in the State highway
system being built under the super
vision Of the State Highway Com
| mission with Federal aid will COM
pare favorably as to permanence of
location, width, grade and drainage
| structures with standard stretch
Of railroad. The commission does
not consider that money spent on
| surfaces Of local materials for sec
tions Of these roads is wasted, al
though 1T would afford great pleasure
to the commission to have all Of
these roads hard-surfaced now. On
an average the cost Of hauling.
spreading and compacting a road sur
face made Of local material is only
80 per cent Of the total cost, the
remaining 70 per cent being made
up Of the cost Of relocation, grading,
and permanent drainage structures.
A road should be properly located,
graded, given sufficient width and
permanent drainage structures be-
fore any sort Of surface is put on It.
The cost of this work Is the primary
charge against any good road. After
this work Is done and this first
charge Is met, the type of surface
can be determined by amount of
t1o hi nd