The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1919-06-18

After giving it the best location, suf-
ficient width, a minimum grade and
permanent drainage structures, the
State Highway Commission will not
attempt to decide arbitrarily whether
the road is to be hard surfaced or
surfaced with some local material, as
this is factor which must be con-
trolled by the amount Of money avail
able for use on any particular stretch
of road"
Major Thomas pointed out the close
analogy between a railroad and
highway. He said that in this State
there are railroads located three quar-.
ters of century ago, the roadbeds of
which occupied the same locations
determined by the first engineers who
worked on them. These engineers
made the grades low and the location:.
the best obtainable, although they did
not provide many permanent drain
age structures. When the railroads
were first laid flimsy crossties and
light weight rails, some of them of
timber topped by iron strips, were put
on the roadbeds. With the increase
of traffic and heavier trains the finn
sy crossties and light weight rails
were replaced from time to time un-
til now on all standard railroads there
are 80 10. rails and heavy crossties
bailasted by crushed stone. "The sur
face of State Highway built of
some local material, can be compared
point for point with the small cross
ties and light weight rails on railroad
roadbeds three-quarters of q century
ago." continued Major Thomas. "The
Highway surface Of local material
can be removed when it wears out
and if money is available, a hard sur
face made of imported material can
be laid which will then bring the high
way up to the best standards. No
group Of highway enthusiasts are
more anxious than the State High
way Commission to see every road
in the State hard surfaced, but such
surfacing is a matter of money, while
the States need for roads which will
be dry in wet weather and afford
means Of hauling at low cost between
sections of the State now isolated in
bad weather, is a pressing and pres
ent one which we cannot relegate to
some indefinite date when this State
or it's counties have money enough
20 put hard surfaces on all their roads
"The roads in the State Highway
System being built under the super
vision of the State Highway Com
mission with Federal Aid will COM
pare favorably as to permanence Of
location, width, grade and drainage
structures with a standard stretch of
railroad. The Commission does not
consider that money spent on sur
faces of local materials for sections
of these roads is wasted, although it
would afford great pleasure to the
Commission to have all these roads
hard surfaced now. On an average
the cost of hauling, spreading and
compacting a road surface made of
local material is only 80 per cent of
the total cost, the remaining 70 per
cent being made up Of the cost of
relocation, grading, grubbing and per.
manent drainage structures. A road
should be properly located, graded:
given sufficient width and permanent
drainage structures before any sort
of surface is put on it, The cost of
{l,, 4 4
anst any good road. After this work
is done and this first charge met, the
type of surface can be determined by
the amount Of money available and
| made second charge against the
road. Maintenance of the surface
of the road will constitute third
and continuous charge regardless Of
the type of surface laid"
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