Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1920-01-29
TREGo COUNTY ROADS AND
BRIDGES

! There are in Trego County about
! twenty five bridges County bridges1
with wood floors. IF built in one CON
| tinuous bridge would reach over $500
/ feet and the amount of lumber to
| floor them equals 125, 900 or more
feet
When most of them were built la
lumber 20 to 25 per thousand and the
! steel around 2 cents per pound.
i To day labor is three times as high
| or more and till lately hard to get at
any price. Lumber and steel are like
| wise three times the price paid so that
| it is safe to say that the rebuilding of
the same bridges today if built no
4 better would be at least three times
the original cost were the whole
bridge to be rebuilt at one time
/ Replace any one plank at time
i or even load of plank and the cost
is greater still
i The life of a wood bridge is esti-
mated to be about Is years as an
average leaving out destruction by
floods
To rebuild the present bridges as a
whole just as they are would cost to-
day sec. 900 but greater folly could
be done than to rebuild as at first
hence it has been the later policy
when rebuilding wherever possible
! and time and funds permitted with as
nearly indeStructible materials and
in as nearly indestructible manner
5 as could be determined even though
the cost were greater than a mere
B temporary wood structure and though
the delay might cause some incon-
5 venience. 1t is a conservative estin-
& ate that those now in existence are
3 more than half rotted away and are
5 still rotting away and either must be
& rebuilt within the next ten years or
be along without.
Some of course will outlast others
5 and some have been partly replaced
9 with concrete abutnents and piers
q set a base that will not under
mine.
Most of the streams range from 16
& to 20 feet to shale and the stratum
3 above is mainly sand and soft alluvial
deposits that wash away rapidly
often in single food to a depth
greater than any of the older bridges
were set.
81 This action is unusually noticeable
G since the arrival of the Russian
thistle and the combination with
3 wire fencing a problem that was not
g taken into consideration 20 years
9 ago.
-
3 bridges inches in thickness thai
o were put on only four years ago thai
- are worn thin that they must be
repaired this year Wood piling pu
in less than seven years that is gone
Wood stringers and braces in Iik;
- condition.
- Is it not the part of wisdom and il
line with economy to build with NOR
:, lasting material when we do bull.
- even thought the cost is double tina
of wood Even though it costs some
thing to build a foundation to set
on?
The new bridges asked for now i
ag petitions before the Commissioner
ey and by sections that need bridges a
be bad as those who have bridges wou1
ir- cost at least $4,000 so some mus
F. go without their crossings
The needed drains and smaller GU
verts on the county roads if built
all the mud holes of the 124 mile
o and up to the standard "a feet
= width nothing less than feet in d
g ameter up to eight feet across in til
4 larger draws more than 200 in all wi
3 be required before you get the draiI
& in and all the places above the waite
3 These will average at present price
800 yet every man who finds a mu
z hole thinks that one should be hxe
9 first
3 1t will be several years before II
3 north and south roads be mao
z good throughout and for one reaso
9 only Tt costs over $50 per mile
3 drag and maintain the best sectic
z of the county roads last year tn:
g after the road had been brought up il
q to pretty good shape, yet every ms
& who went over the different roa.
& said. why don't you get some OF
8 to keep all the rest as good as that
Z That is just for dragging rememb
q but the earth fills and cu1verts wher
3 | ever the line crosses a draw or strea
8 cost many times the mere upkeep,
z get IN to shape for that upkeep-
The Golden Belt is especially favo