Smyrna times., 1919-05-07
COMMERCE STREET TO Be
REBUILT WITH "TARVIA X"
SMYRNA TOWN COUNCIL GIVES
lob TO F. w. LOVETT, NEWARK
Work Will Be Begun as Soon as
Equipment and Material Arrives
Contract Price $1.38 So. Yd.

Equipment and Material Arrives
Contract Price $1.38 So. Yd.
At a special meeting of Smyrna
Town Council on Friday evening, with
all present except Councilman Thom-
as Jefferson, the contract was let to
F. W. Lovett, of Newark, practical
road builder, to rebuild Commerce
street from the "Four Corners" to
town limits of the Smyrna Clayton
road, of Tarvia X Penetration ma
terial, and to resurface mecadam
South and Mt. Vernon streets. The
contract price accepted from Mr..
Lovett, which included labor, material
and everything, was $1.38 per square
yard. Just how far Council will go
depends on what Commerce street,
above mentioned, will cost, but Mr..
Lovett was guaranteed at least $780,
900 worth of work. If circumstances
warrant, Commerce street below the
"Four Corners" to East street may be
built. The north end of Main street,
from the brick street to town limits,
is also under consideration, and since
this is part of the State highway,
members of Council feel they may
get some State aid in putting this
much travelled thoroughfare in good
condition. Contractor Lovett came to
Smyrna at the instance of the Spe-
cial Street Committee, composed of S.
A. Fortner, J. E. Wilson and w. F.
Keith. Town Council had really
turned the matter over to them with
instructions to go ahead, but the
committee could not agree, and the
question was thrown back to Council
for action. Mr.. Fortner favored con-
crete, Mr.. Wilson, tarvia penetra-
ton, and Mr.. Keith, having the decid-
ing vote, was unwilling to take the
responsibility. Hence the question
reverted back to Town Council.
Merits of Two Materials Discussed.
Concrete was considered with all
its merits as a permanent roadbed,
but owing to high cost Mr.. Fortner
favored a 16-foot strip down the cen
ter of the street. This would have
cost approximately four times as
much as tarvia, and as the latter was
a curb to curb proposition, noiseless
and dustless, it won the favor Of the
majority of the members. Aside
from the fact the concrete would
have cost approximately $4,000,
members of Councils felt that Tarvia
Penetration was sufficient to meet
all demands and was, next to brick
Main street, about as durable a road
as they could build. If Tarvia was
good enough for the heavy traffic OF
Newark and the Lincoln Highway.
and good enough for a city like
Washington, D. c., it ought to be
good enough for Smyrna. Then
again, Smyrna Town Council had al
ready gone into the electric light
proposition and awarded contracts
and members felt they must be as
economical with the towns funds as
possible, commensurate, of course
with as permanent a road job as they
could build.
Street Work To Begin at Once.
Contractor Lovett, who is anxious
to give Smyrna an A No. 1 job VII
begin work as soon as his equipment
and material arrives. The whole o.
Commerce street to be rebuilt is t'
scarifed and regarded. On top OF the
present solid stone foundation is u
be built three or four inches OF 1s
inch trap rock, bound by the larv!'
X Penetration material into sol'
mass. On top of this will be a dress IS
ing of fine stone and binder, tnat VIII
give a finished street from curb U
curb. The curb lines are all to D. D.
strengthened, and when done II VIII
no doubt be a pretty street.