The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-05-19
ONLY IS MILES
OF Pike PAVED
IN KENTUCKY
Millions Of Dollars Spent In Patch
Work, Road Engineers Say
Permanent Construction
Needed.

Frankfort, KY, May 19-Mainten-
ance cost is an Idea road engineers are
dining into the ears of many county
officials In whose minds road Is a
road and macadam pike the last
word in highways.
In the seven years Of devoted mis-
sionary effort and demonstrations Of
egineering efficiency, under a State
road department, the sum total of
permanent construction outside Fay
cite, Jefferson, Kenton, Campbell.
Boyd and Daviess, consists of con-
crete culverts and steel bridges.
These latter are monuments of en-
cheering skill, but of the $4,000 miles
of highway in the State less than sew
enty-five miles are paved and another
10000 are hard pixies.
All other things being equal, the en-
gineers are trying to make county Of
ficiais understand that the volume of
traffic should dictate the type of road
construction and that maintenance
cost eats up road funds, where the
type of construction is inferior to the
demands of traffic.
Literally, millions of dollars have
been spent in patchwork, the money
being divided among magisterial dis
tricts so that each member of the Fis-
cal Court can do something for his
constituency,
Progress has been made, it is
hown, in earth graded roads, where
that is sufficient for the traffic. In
this type drainage is of the essence of
durability and county engineers are
learning the lesson we'll.
On the more travelled highways oil
is being resorted to as deterrent of
disintegration. 1t is recognized as
the first step toward permanent roads
of brick, concrete or asphalt. This,
however, goes into the category of
maintenance; though it is hoped the
added initial cost will more than pay
for itself in holding the surface
against the wear of truck and auto
tires.
What happens to plain macadam on
a much travelled highway is demon
strated by the experience of Franklin
county with its ten miles Of the COM
bined Midland and Boone trails and
Dixie and Jackson highways.
Half was resurfaced in 1916 and the
other half in 1917, at a cost of $4,000
the mile. This was maintenance in
the view of the Road Department. Had
the road lasted until now the cost
would have been distributed over the
period of $1,000 the mile year main
tenance for half and $3.50 for the other
half; but it didn't last much more than
season, 1t wasn't repaired, and now
it pitted from end to end
This year it is to be resurfaced
again with State aid and oiled. This
will cost $1,000 teh mile, with $3.50
additional for oiling With an annual
lose of oil, running upward of $500 the
mile, it is hoped this will last ten
years, though Woodford's recent ex-
perience shows that oil will not pre-
vent wearing of holes in a pike.
The maintenance cost, then, for ten
years will be minimum of $4,000 the
mile, including the initial expendi-
ture and the annual oiling, or $1,000
the mile annually. While this cost is
not considered excessive, it calls for
State aid for maintenance.
At the end Of that time, II not be-
fore, the whole process will be sure
to 60 through with again and then
or some time, the whole road will have
to be reconstructed.