Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-02-27
HIGHWAY WORK
FOR PAST YEAR.

plates the construction OF ABOUT IS
miles of State highway, according to
the annual report Of William NJ. Aver Of
oakland, Philip J. Deering Of Portland
and Frank A. Peabody of Houlton, the
members Of the State highway COM
mission, which was filed with the Gov
ernor and council Thursday.
Surveys were completed for all OF
this work during the fall and prelini-
nary steps have been taken with the
federal government for having all Of
these projects approved for federal aid
projects" says the report.
THE most of this mileage has been
so laid out that it will connect consid-
cradle stretches Of State highway here
tofore constructed. so that with the
completion of this mileage long sections
Of continuous improved highway will be
made available for the general travel
ing public" continues the report.
THE only fear the commission has
about completing the program laid out
is that we will not be able to secure
sufficient contractors and laborers to
handle the work. Every effort will be
made, however. to do so.
state Hi9nWayS
ION account Of very limited appro-
priations available during the past year
State highway work was confined to
completing work undertaken during the
previous year. All such work. with the
exception of the job between Malta
wamkeag and Macwahoc. was finished
during the past year. Two contracts
for new work were let late in the sea-
son. In September. a contract was let
for e.35 miles Of state highway in Vas
salboro. which at present is the only.
| really bad piece of road between Port
| land and Bangor on the interior route.
| Only a small amount OF work was done
on this contract in the fall of 1919. but it
| is confidently expected that work will
be completed during the season of 1890.
'In December a contract was let for
7.05 miles of State highway in Enfield.
| running from the end of the Rowland
; Enfield bridge to the Howland-Lincoln
town line.
lowing to the lateness Of the season
no work was done on this contract, but
the contractor is getting things in readi-
ness to make an early start in the
spring of 1890. In October. work was
| started on a day labor basis in the re-
| construction of the last two sections Of
! unimproved road on the route from
Bangor to Ellsworth. On account 81
favorable weather conditions one Sec
! ton, one and a quarter miles long. was
| completed early in January. 1890.
"Altogether "a miles Of State highway
was finished during the year.
New Bond Issue
adequate finances for State highway
| work in the immediate future have been
provided for by the amendment to the
! constitution passed at the special cleo
| ton in September, 1919, authorizing the
issue OF 100000 of new highway and
bridge bonds. The legislature in spec
ial session in November, 1919, authorized
the issue of 100000 worth Of these
bonds for State highway construction
| work in 1920 This amount, coupled with
federal aid now available and to become
available on July !. 1920, gives little
more than 100000 which will be avail
able for State highway construction
during the year.
State Aid Construction
More State aid highway construction
was performed during the past year
! than in any previous year. The ex-
pendituresN were considerably over
100000 and 4 total of 203 miles Of road
was reco,. -;tructed. This was due to the
fact that during 1917 and 1918 scarcity
| Of labor made it impossible for many
! towns to expend State aid appropria-
Nd
expended in 1919. Notwithstanding the
! large expenditure made during the
year, there is balance of State aid ap-
! portioned to the towns but unexpended
at the end Of the year amounting to
$137 ,07S. a If 1t is possible to clear up this
balance during the, year 1872 and ex-
pend the 1920 appropriation, we should
add another considerable mileage Of
| improved road to the State aid system
| during the present year.
Bridge Work
Applications for State aid and county
| assistance in the reconstruction Of
! bridges were received in such numbers
| that had the States appropriation for
this work been double, it would have
been insufficient to have built all Of
these bridges. This has necesstated
| bringing a large number of petitions
| over to be acted in 1870
Upon the recommendation Of the
highway commission. the legislature
| changed the proportions of cost to DE
paid by the town and the State SO that
as the cost of a bridge increases the
proportional part Of the cost is de-
creased to the town and likewise is in
creased to the State. In other words,
| the law is much more liberal now than
| It was originally.
Maintenance Work
Maintenance work was continued as
| 1t has been carried on for the last three
years. principally by the patrol method.
Besides the patrol maintenance work,
| considerable work was done by gangs.
This work is principally on improved
State highways. We have consid-
cradle mileage of gravel surface State
highway which carries excessive motor
vehicle traffic. official counts showing
as high as $500 motor vehicles passing
given point in II hours, from O'Clock
,, in the morning until o'clock in the
evening. this count being a daily aver
age for one week. A plain gravel sur
face would not last a week under this
kind OF travel. 30 it has become neces-
sary to give these sections a bitumi-
nous surface treatment in order to pre-
serve them.
Color Bands
During the past year the commission