Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1919-01-03
STATES HIGHWAYS
IN GOOD CONDITION
Loss by Restricted Construc-
lion Offset by Patrol Sys-
tenn of Maintenance.
Year Was Success.

ways of Wisconsin in 1918 than in
several years, the main highways of
the state were never in better con-
ditioG than during this year. Tour
lists who have Travelled extensively all
verify this fact.
The cause of this seeming paradox
is found in the fact that because Of
conditions growing out of tie war
construction work was radically cut
down-but this was far more than off
set by the Inauguration of system of
patrol maintenance on the 5000 miles
of State Trunk Highways. This
meant that some work of improvement
was done on practically every mile of
the State Trunk Highway System.
Prior to this yeaf, under the State
Aid act, there was no system of pa
troll maintenance, but very little
maintenance of any character, and
highway improvement limited to con,
struction, done in piece meal way
on small stretches of road, while
practically nothing was done on the
balance of the highway.
The year 1918 will be noted as the
beginning of new era in highway
work in Wisconsin. 1t marked a def
mite advancement in tile fact that
State Trunk Highway Law became
operative, and the State Aid law,
while the state had certain powers of
supervision and assisted financially,
the county was the unit of highway
construction and scattered sections of
road were being built from the local
point of view. Maintenance was a
negligible quantity. The State
Trunk Highway Act this year accom-
plished these three things
1t placed 5000 miles of our main
trunk highways under a system of pa
troll maintenance, which meant that
these highways were divided into pa
troll sections, with patrolman in
charge of each section, paid a month"; y
salary, and deyoting his whole time
to keeping his section in condition.
1t meant the removal of d number Of
real road terrors, and a system of
highways in fairly adequate condition
under normal weather conditions and
passable for traffic. Although, of
course, this excerpts certain sand road
areas ard certain heavy grades which
require either construction or grading
jobs of some magnitude, which were
not feasible under this years war con-
ditionS.
1t meant the placing, on the State
Trunk Highways, of standardized
marking system, with which the puD-
lie is now fairly familiar, and giving
Wisconsin the best marked highway
system in the country.
1t meant a limited amount of con-
struction on certain bad sections of
main highways, the amount being
limited by conditions growing out of
the war.
In the matter Of maintenance, $50
paJrolmen were on the job caring for
from six to twelve miles each. The
total amount spent on patrol mainten-
ance was 81, 200, 600, or $240 per mile.
OF this the state contributed 81, 008,-
600, this money coming from the au-
tomobile license fees, and the counties
voted $4,000.
In the matter of construction, the
total spent on State Aid construction
was approximately 81, 100000, and on
State Trunk Highway construction
approximately S1,OO0,O00. On the
State Aid work 365 miles of road were
simply graded and drained, 1l6 miles
were constructed with crushed stone
surface, ia miles with gravel surface,
37miles with concrete, and ia miles
with other materials. A total of l24
State Aid bridges were built, costing
1854, 900 or. about $1,000 EACH The
number of County Aid bridges con-
structed was $40 at cost of S740, 900.
Summing it up, war conditions laid
restrictive hand on highway iln-
provements in this state this year in
cutting down highway construction.
Despite that, by the system of patrol
maintenance, our main highways were
put in better condition than ever be-
fore. 1t was lucky for Wisconsin that
State Highway Engineer Hirst had
the fore thought to provide for this
patrol maintenance. 1t offset the loss
brought on by restricted construction.
None of our neighboring states have
devised this system of maintenance
and with the war limitations on con-
struction, the result on their high
ways was obvious. AS matter of
fact, the patrol maintenance system
in Wisconsin has attracted the atten-
ton of highway engineers throughout
the country and at the recent Road
Congress at Chicago, the paper of
State Highway Engineer Hirst on
Wisconsin's road-marking and main
tenance was the 10, mote paper of the
sessions.
The year 1919 will see far more I'M
provement on the roads of Wisconsin
than any year in it's history. Approx
.imately 100000 will be spent on
highway construction. On the State
Trunk Highway System, slightly over
100000 will be spent on grading,