New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-17
Why Roads Fail
Floating Surfaces That Haze
No Proper Foundation
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: 1t is strange that with tho
almost universal knowledge of road
building and repairing our roads are
to-day not as serviceable, for the traffic,
as were the roads Of one hundred years
ago. Why?
Because latter da,. cant call them
modern, road builders have been and
are now striving to get . surface which
will stand the traffic, but without giving
a thought to the foundation of the
structure. This condition of thought on
the part of the road builders is most
natural, because all have been cdu-
Gated along railway construction lines,
where a settlement of the grade was
compensated for by wedging up the rail
Or tamping up the cross ties. This prac-
tice goes so far as railway work is con-
cerned, but the surface Of a highway
can't be wedged or lamp d up; 1t must
be laid on firm and solid foundation.
Given firm foundation, four inches Of
crushed stone will prove more service
able than eight or ten inche. OF sub
surface as ordinarily prepared.
Our dirt roads failed and the call was
for Capitalization Of roso work in the
states. Once get tho y, : matter CEN
tralized in the state aiu al our troubles
would be over. This Capitalization by
the states developed no new principle
in either construction or maintenance;
the roads worked by the states failed
in parts every spring when h. frost
was coming out of the ground failed
so badly that travel was seriously in
peded, just as it had been under town
have failed to solve the road problem
just as the town workers failed. And
now comes the cry for Capitalization
nationally; when our road work shall
be nationally centralized "all our road
troubles will be over" But viii they
Not mess there comes . complete turn
over in the present practice OF road
work.
The work must begin from the bot
tom instead of at the top. First, begin
with building a common or garden
variety" of dirt road which VIII carry
the traffic. Care for it by dragging. by
draining, both the surface and sub
surface. and by filing up the low places
until it will support the traffic at all
times in all parts of its length; then
put on any style of surface desired
The construction Of the dirt road may
be by contract, but the care and main
tenance Of it for a period Of two OF
three years should be under the direc-
ton and in the hands of the best skilled
road builders. l am confident that six
inches Of oiled macadam surface placed
ON such foundation will be more efn-
cient at the end of ten years than the
best concrete road as now being con-
structed. Two or three years may stem
long time to wait for finished road
but, remember, the road is in service
all the time the foundation is being
prepared and highways should be built
w idSL 1uuchuAtSsyp "ilh .
amount of repairs to the surface
I understand that Nebraska is TO use
its Federal aid money in building dirs
roads and Is being severely criticized
therefor. but Nebraska is. right. Pro-
vided Nebraska.s dirt roads are prop
erly built and cared Cor I venture ~
predict that at tho emu Of ten yean
Nebraska will have NOR. miles Of ser
viceable roads than che eth.r state~
which continue tho practice OF building
floating hard surfaces cad Calling them
roads. '. a. YOUNG
Jewett City, Conn, April IL, 1890.
Still Knocking