The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-05-30
MODERN CONCRETE
PAVED HIGHWAYS
(By @. r. EEe)

to horse-drawn vehicles, bicycles an,
perhaps q very few motor cars In tn
neighborhood OF some OF the large
cities. People generally appreciate,
q good road, and there were many en-
gineers In the country who knew hov
to build them TO take care Of the traf
fc which existed at that time. On,
important result Of highway improve
ment, however, was not foreseen b.
the road builders Of that time, and
! is matter which Is frequently over
looked or disregarded by present-da!
road builders. This matter Is the In
crease in traffic which results from
the improvement Of any highway. 4
somewhat similar condition exists II
a town where there have been M
good sidewalks. People will not leave
their homes or move about excep
when necessity compels. When the
sidewalks have been provided ant
good crossings built, the result Is that
people move about within the city
more freely and living conditions ac-
cordingly are improved. The same
thing happens when highway is i'm.
proved. Without any increase in the
population or perhaps in the produc-
tive capacity in districtq, the mere
fact that road has been built which
will be reasonably free from mud or
dust will induce people to move about
more. This encourages trade and is
very generally recognized as an i'm
portant factor in improved living and
trade conditions.
On this account 1t frequently hap
pens that in the case of a road which
has been heretofore left largely to
the mercy Of the elements, and has
perhaps no other surface except the
iriginal soil, and which is improved
with treatment of gravel or maca-
dam, the builders are astonished and
dismayed by the fact that the traffic
increases beyond their anticipation,
and as result the surface that has
been provided is entirely inadequate
to take care of the travel that is de-
should be very carefully considered by
any community planning highway i'm
provements.
1t is an old story now that the au-
tomobile has put the old-time gravel
and macadam roads out of business.
Keeping pace with the demands of
commerce, the motor manufacturers
have developed the truck to a point
where its use is of great economic
saving to all classes of commece. The
wear up a highway that results from
motor truckca and automobile travel
Is not so much the result of abrasion
as it is the result of impact. The
motor truck has come to stay because
1t fills definite requirement in our
economic existence, and 1t has put up
to the highway builders of the coun-
try to provide a surface which is ca
pable of carrying this traffic, which
is rapidly increasing in volume and in
weight. The answer of highway build
ers to this development has been the
rigid type of pavement which is best
emphasized by the modern one-course
cement concrete pavement. Anyone
who has observed the effects of mo-
tor truck traffic over unpaved high
ways has noticed that the driving
wheels very quickly develop any
weak spots than may exist in the road.
These must be Immediately repaired
or they will shortly become so extern
sive in area as to constitute an OBJ
stable. preventing the further use of
that highway by trucks, or indeed any
other form Of vehacle.
Concrete pavements for highways
have long since passed the experiment
tai stage. Improvement in methods
of construction and details of design
continue to be developed, as we'll be
true Of any type of structure, but the
fundamental principles have now been
so thoroughly understood for a num-
Der of years that a definite practice
has been developed which can be
counted upon to render true values
for the investment
The first section of the county to
build concrete highways on a large
scale was Wayne county, Michigan, of
which Detroit is'the seat. Beginning
in the year 1909, the authorities of this
county have followed a plan of high
way development which was original
ly conceived in 1907, and year by year
they have added to the paved sections |
Of this system until now 1t is nearly |
so far as the trunk lines are
and number of the sec
ondary or connecting lines have also |
been paved with concrete. These au-
thorities have found no reason to de-
part from the type of pavement orig
lnally selected.
Woodward avenue, one Of the main
thoroughfares radiating from Detroit
was first paved with with concrete 16
It. wide in 1909. This pavement is
still in service despite the fact that
the traffic has developed to a point
where the width is no longer sufficient
but the pavement itself gives promise
Of many more years of excellent SER
vice. This particular stretch of high
a