Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-03
BOROUGHS MUST
HELP THE STATE
Sadler Will Ask That Ripping
Up Streets Be Pre-
vented

Highway Commissioner Lewis ,.
Sadler to-day declared that there
will be absolutely no deviation from
the rule that no permanent. paving
will be put down in boroughs OF
Pennsylvania, so far as the state
Highway Department is concerheu'
until every pipe or sewer connec-
ton is made on the thoroughfare
to be improved. This announcement
is in line with Governor Sproul S
determination that there shall be
no waste of state highway funds.
Before we proceed with the con-
struction of permanent thorough
fares through boroughs of Pennsyl-
vania," said Commissioner Sadler,
I'VE will have agreements with the
borough authorities which will pre-
vent the ripping of pavements. And
we shall insist that these agree
ments be lived up to. For not less
than five years after completion the
pavement may not be disturbed, un-
less in case of extraordinary emer-
gency We do not propose to waste
money. can conceive of no reason
! why the boroughs themselves, the
corporations, and private property
owners cannot lay their sewers and
mains of various sorts in anticfpa-
ton of paving. I know of no rea-
son why old mains cannot be re-
newed, if necessary"
I'm the case of vacant lots, where
construction begins after the paving
is laid, will the rule regarding sew
ers and piping be enforced?" the
Highway Commissioner was asked.
Most assuredly," was the reply.
Owners of properties should lay all
nannCcarv niriy1u hnfnrn hnRin
paving. They must anticipate con-
struction."
Many roadways in Pennsylvania
which otherwise would have lasted
for a great many years have been
ruined in comparatively short
time because they were ripped up
for the laying of piping. I know
of instances where within a few
months after completion of long
stretch of brick paving a public ser
vice corporation ripped the street
for distance of half a mile to put
down water main. This could
have been avoided. It is not possi-
BILE effectively to patch highways OF
the rigid type after they have once
been cut through. In spite of all
precautions taken 1t is never posi-
BILE to get the same uniformity in
the patch as was had in the original
job. Lack of uniformity is one of
the primary causes of early deteri-
Grafton of the paving. No element
has as detrimental an effect on BIZ
luminous paving as water; and 1t
is not possible to keep out water
where a patch has been made. The
surface must be kept true in order to
assure a perfect roadway. In paw
ing of other than bituminous kinds
there is always a line of cleavage,
as result of which water creeps in
and in times of freezing and thaw-
ing displaces the surface.
For these reasons-because we
will save the Commonwealth many
hundreds of thousands of dollars,
we will not lay a foot of paving in
any borough of Pennsylvania until
every single water and sewer and
gas connection, or underground con-
nection of any other kind, has been
completed.
"I mention this matter now be-
cause the spring of the year is COM
ing and it will be possible for mu-
inequalities, public service corpora
tions and individuals to do whatever
street ripping is necessary. Once
our paving is down it will not be
disturbed"
IH0 IlISI plS duNCI Act
bids for construction of roads in the
primary" system of highways in
Pennsylvania to be constructed un-
der the S50,000,000 road bond is
sue is just being made and is the
first of series of notable contract
lettings. The department is also
asking for bids for building of a
quarter million or more feet under
plans prepared last year, but laid
aside because of war conditions.
The call for bids for the primary
system is for close to fifty miles of
primary" highway to be built at
State expense. In one case, Philips
burg borough, the road will be "a
and 32 feet wide and on primary
| highways 1s feet. In Harrington
| township, Warren county, which is
joint proposition the road will be
Ia feet. This is taken to mean that
hereafter roads will be 18 instead OF
16 feet. the standard width hereto
fore. This is due to the demands
of traffic. The specifications call foI
heavy construction. There are sew
enteen sections of highway to be
included in the letting, including
some for brick which will link uT
existing roads recently improved.