Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-01-09
"C0NCRETE FOR
PERMANENCE''
Continued from last week.

Averages taken from the records
in his department show that the
cost of maintenance for the seven
years of life of the cheaper roads is
approximately $1,000 per mile while
the cost of maintenance of the con-
crete roads for thirty years IS $4,000
per mile.
M. Greene is putting this pro-
position to the counties of his state
that are insisting upon the cheaper
types of roads = they can have
water-bound or macadam roads pro-
viding they will promise to paw all
maintenance costs Of more than S1OO
per mile per year.
The people of Greene county. Iowa
sent out committee of their super-
visors to investigate paved roads in
places where experience has been
had with these Eoads; they visited
Milwaukee county, Wisconsin ano
Wayne county Michigan, they re-
port initial cost of concrete roads at
about $4,000 per mile, up-keep sic
to $40 per mile per year and life OF
road from 35 to 40 years. This
committee of supervisors were con.
vinced by what they saw and learn.
ed that concrete roads were the best
for their own county and recon
nTended their installation.
Bringing the consideration of tbs
road problem nearer home we note
that Huron county has 100 miles Of
concrete roads and 16 miles of bricl
and that they are enthusiastic advo
Gates of the concrete road; the main
tenance cost according to Huron
County reports being from $18 tt
$40 per mile per year.
Local experience with the stone
roads has not been such as to en-
courage the building of the cheaper
type Of roads. One mile of roac
west of Whiteville for illustration
built two years ago has all gone t.
pieces and will have to be recon
structed. We do not know wha
this road cost but we understand i
was of similar type to the road pro
posed in Gorham Township soutE
of the elm Tree" whose spe ifica
tions call for water-bound maca
dam Ia feet wide, 6 inches a
sides and inches at center. TIL,
engineers estimate on this road wa.
L
and reputable contractor is report
ed to have said that he could MOI
take the contract for building thii
road at the engineers estimate az
it is too low.
The road for the first mile i'm
mediately north of Wauseon ha!
has been built about six years We
learn from reliable sources thai
during the last two years this mile
of road has cost $2O58 for recon
struotion and maintenance.
In view of all that we can learr
in regard to roads at home anc
abroad we feel that we are amply
justified in commencing the actor
of our own Board of County Com
nissioners in urging the construc
tion of g concrete road on the sec
ton of the Main Market read thru
Clinton and German townships to bt
built this year. 1t seems to II.
sound judgement and good economy
1t will furnish dependable highway
at all seasons of the year, competent
to stand up under the heavy traffic
L to WITCH it is bound to be subjected
and it will not only save money fol
the taxpayers in the long run bu
it will actually put money in theil
pockets.
The automobiles and the heayy
auto-t-ucks have come to stay
more of them are coming to trave
over and try out the roads we hav,
to build and maintain. We canno
order the autos or the trucks of
from the roads consequently tn
economic thing to do is to bull,
roads that will stand up under thei
pounding and save our selves a
much as possible in cost of mainten
ance and reconstruction.