The Caldwell tribune., 1919-09-05
JuST WHAT CANYON COUNTY IS
TRYING TO Do WITH HER ROADS
Without Available Bonded Funds, High
way Improvement Is Being Pushed
On Comprehensive Program
Which Promises Results

the next 18 months, 800 miles of road
should be we'll graveled.
After a particular stretch of road
has been completed, filled bin of
screened gravel will be left in that
district to make minor repairs as they
are required Following the compile
ton of the principal graveling prof.
ects, it is proposed to install sprinklers
on three trucks which will be equipped
with small gasoline engines permit
ting them to fill at any ditch of irriga-
ting water along the highway. Each
Of the main travelled roads will be
sprinkled at least three times each
week during the seven dry months
of the year as needed when the work
of road construction is given over to
that maintenance. Every sprinkler
will be followed Immediately by a
road. 1t is believed that this process
kept up persistently, will make Can
yon county roads capable of bearing
without faltering, 500 tons of traffic
daily They will be water bound
macadam roads and are expected to
become better with use
Must Hard Surface Some.
In such communities that crop
movements are so heavy that traffic
will exceed 500 tons daily, it is pointed
out that only hard surfaced road
will stand the wear and tear. In that
event, work being done graveling the
roads will not have been lost on those
sections, because gravel bed is es-
sential for installation of hard sur
faced road.
One unfortunate thing makes diff
cult the operation of the sprinkling
program and that is the presence of a
highway district cutting in two vari-
Gus main arteries of travel which are
county highways. This will neces-
state some arrangement whereby the
county may include the highway dis
trict roads in the sprinkling routes
and be compensated by the highway
district officials for that service. 1t
is presumed that no difficulty will be
entertained in making those arrange
ments. Road maintenance under the
proposed plan will not cost more than
the current road tax levy will provide
4 funds.
Quick Repairs.
One instance in point of the neces-
sity of maintenance following con-
struction of graveled roads occurred
last week when 800 yards of road
graveled to depth of four feet near
the Roswell bridge because of fill
The section or road broke under the
500 tons per day required of it when
the Wilder bench farmers shipped po-
tatoes to Parma. for loading. Trucks
were unable to get through. Hose
was purchased a small gasoline en-
gine and centrifugal pump installed
and the section was doused with two
heavy streams of water. Two. hours
later, loaded trucks we're able to cross
the section in question on high. No
difficulty has been experienced with
that road since.
i Last week it was believed that the
Golden Gate highway district would
disband and that matters of mainten.
ance of roads would thereby be great,
ly simplified Residents of the Fargo
and Sunny Slope districts however
oppose the move and 100000 bono
issue is now contemplated to bring
roads in that district up to the sur
rounding county standard. 1t is un
derstood that Wilder residents favo.
dissolution of the district. This wa:
evidenced at a road meeting held re-
Gently when large majority of thos.
who attended voted in favor of thai
measure. But Fargo and Sunny Slope
were not largely represented at the
meeting. They oppose the disruption
Of the highway district.
Canyon county roads are by nc
means satisfactory as yet but every
effort is being made under a compre
hensive road building program te
place them in excellent condition
Only radical changes in the presen
method of road construction can max,
impossible the establishment of :
high quality system of we'll main
tanned roads.