Connecticut western news., 1919-03-13
HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS
 ARE NEARLY COMPLETED
New Road and Bridge Across Housatonic Were Badly
 Needed

town gong west VIII VleW WltH uS- light the newly made road and con- cretes bridge over the Housatonic river, which are nearly finished. The road is open now to traffic and with the exception of short piece oil the Root farm, is completed.
 The improvements to this stretch of road, which extend from the Blackberry to the Housatonic, which divides the town of Salisbury and North Canaan, really start this side of the Blackberry river, where a new bridge is soon to be built. These improvements are in the nature of reducing a bad curve near Allyn Fuller's residence, where solid ledge of silica rock, probably fifteen , or more feet high, has obstructed the view of pedestrians and autoists.
 Passing this and going across the Blackberry River bridge, relic by , the way, of by-gone days, the new road starts just below the Egan farm and cuts straight through the Root farm, thereby eliminating a very bad : curve where three roads forked. } This piece of road was undoubtedly the hardest to build of the entire mile and a quarter. Lying directly in the proposed line of the highway huge boulders of silica rock, weigh ing many tons had to be blasted and which later formed the foundation of this part of the road, which had to be built up about six feet.
 sLeaving the road on the Root farm and joining the main road, the sharpest curve is formed. By this we mean that the curve is sharp com pared only to the curves on the old road. To make this turn as safe as possible, the road here is 36 feet wide and banked to 3-foot slope, making it possible, though not ad- visable, for .autoists to make the turn at thirty-fve miles an hour.
 l. Below Roots corner, III order to obliterate all turns possible, it was again necessary to blast and remove a solid ledge of silica rock. We might add here for the benefit of the inexperienced, that there are few if any stones that are as hard to drill as silica rock. In this cut over 1900 yards of rock were removed before construction could be con- tinued.
 ~ Every possible improvement known to modern engineering has been in corporated in the construction of this road for the benefit of those who travel it. Where there was danger of water accommodating, iron culverts have been placed which drain into the river. Where this was not practical, rumble drain six feet deep was laid for several rods, to insure good drainage.
 While we believe the road has been built of the. most up-to-date and lasting construction, there is still another feature which is of equal importance-that of safety With this end in view the engineers nave eliminated all but three curves. only one of which might be called sharp. On all curves the road has been banked from one to two inches to the foot, which makes t easier for horses or machines to make the turn. All brush near these curves has been cut and we believe it is safe to say that autoists will have an unobstructed view for over a thou sand feet as they approach any curve in the new road.
 As you come to the Stanton or Noble farm, fine view is had of the new concrete bridge which spans the Housatonic. At the ap- preach to the bridge the road was built up six feet, to bring it on a I.,,J T1o oI, distance Of 800 feet where this was done, over 3500 yards of gravel fill were dumped,
 The bridge itself is work cf art. Its nassivcnec3 is a1 inspiration and . when compared with the old bridge which stands nearby, they appear as the works of the pioneer and the modern engineer.
 The new bridge is of twc-arch, thrcc-6pGn construction and is made of r2cnfcrced concrete throughout. It is eighteen feet wide, allowing ample room for two machines or vehicles to pass without danger of graziJ2g one another. When it is taken into consideration that it takes 40 years for concrete to harden, it will be readily understood that many gener- ations will come and go before an other bridge will be needed. j
 The construction of the road, on top of the necessary gravel or dirt fill, is inches of F and inch slag, thoroughly rolled down, on top of which vas placed five inches of gravel, whies was in turn rolled down, making a waterbound maca- dam road.
 The construction of the road was started last June and has been under the supervision of F. K. Kingsley, of Norwich, representing the highway department MT. Kingsley is an engineer of many years experience