Evening star., 1920-07-15
$4,000 CAVITIES
IN STREET FILLED
Work on Asphalt Done Since
March Told in Memo
randum.

The street dental corps of the Dis
trict highway department has filled
$4,000 cavities in asphalt streets dur
ing the period from March 80 to the
present time, according to a memoran-
dun placed on the desk of Engineer
Commissioner Kutz by Maj. +. S. Bes-
son, in charge of street and roadway
. work in the District, today.
Four gangs were organized in the
latter part of March, as soon as wealth
er conditions permitted the initiation
of repairing the onslaughts of winter
conditions.
THE effects of the past severe win
ter have been very noticeable on all of
the $40 miles of travelled streets and
roads in the District" the memoran-
dunn said.
Hard on Asphalt Pavements.
"Of the total mileage, ITO miles are
surfaced with asphalt pavements.
Traffic on these sheet asphalt streets
while covered with snow and slush de-
veloped a great number of defective
spots. During an average Washington
winter the highway division is able to
keep it's sheet asphalt repair gangs at
work more less continuously
throughout the winter. The past one
has been an exception, and for sew
Sral months work had to be discon-
tsnued entirely"
: 1.-THE repair gangs were organized
as soon as weather conditions permit
ted. Up to July 1. each had averaged
sixty-one working days. and eighty
five miles of asphalt streets had been
repaired.
1T may be noticed that though
there are 10 miles of asphalt streets
in the District after oio
hve miles with repair gangs the en-
tire amount shows up in first-class
condition" the memorandum stated.
These streets are of all ages rang
ing up to forty years, and it is very
unusual that any repairs in the least
have to be made to sheet asphalt
pavement prior to it's reaching an age
of ten years."
$4,000 Cubic Feet Used.
In making the repairs. during the
period mentioned $4,000 cubic feet of
asphaltic material was used. The
patches were laid at an average size
of one-half to three-quarters of
square yard. laid at an actual cost of
$1-a0 per square yard.
: In addition to maintaining this
number of men on the asphalt streets,
which are declared by the highways
division to be assuming presentable
conditions for the general traffic
turned it's attention to street car
track ruts.
w. r. & E. Making Repairs.
The Washington Railway and Elec-
tric Company is repairing track space
pavement in various locations. A gang
of fifteen men is permanently engaged
in this class of work. District Of
f1cials desired to see the work speed
ed up The company declared its in
ability to furnish additional men.
Whereupon eighteen men from the
surface division were assigned to re-
pair track space pavement along the
Zines of both companies. 1t is believed
that this force will continue so engaged
until track space pavement is in
condition satisfactory to the Office of
the. engineer of highways. The COM
pany will pay the District for work
Gone.
The Capital Traction Company has a
ganf of twenty-eight men permanent
iy engaged in repairing pavement
within its track space. A contractor
has been employed as an addition to
facilitate this work. He has twenty
seven men at work on trackage pave
menr or Connecticut avenue between