Daily Kennebec journal., 1921-10-05
STATE HIGHWAY
WORK DURING
PRESENT SEASON


PRESENT SEASON
The State Highway Commission
during the present season has had
under construction a total of As sec
tions of State highways. representing
a total mileage of 1899. according to
a statement issued at the depart
ment. Of these jobs. one was begun
in 1919. % were undertaken in 1920
and "a were put under construction
during the present year. The 1919
work was section of bituminous
macadam 9.35 miles long in the town
of Vassalboro, kennebec county.
OF the work put under construction
in 1920 there Were three sections of
bituminous macadam, totalling 14.15
miles in length, four sections Of con-
crete, totalling 14.31 miles in length,
or a total mileage put under con-
struction in 1920 of 6s.S7. Several of
these jobs have been completed and
opened to traffic, and all of the re-
mainder of this mileage will be COM
pleted by the end of the present sea-
son.
OF the "A jobs under construction
during the present year, nine are of
bituminous macadam with a total
mileage of 52.77; two are of Portland
cement concrete, totalling 91.17 miles;
and 13 are of gravel, with a total
mileage of 2S.33, making 91.77 miles
put under construction during the
year 1921. 1t is expected that be-
tween so and IS per cent of the work
begun in 1921 will be completed at
the close of this season, and the bal
ance of this mileage will be done by
the first of July. 1922.
Besides this highway work. there
have been some "a or 35 miles of
gravel surfaced road under construc-
ton under the provisions Of the
Three Town Act" so called, in five
different groups of towns.
Regular State aid construction on
work will probably total 125 more
miles and at least so miles Of re-
construction work will have been
done by the first of the coming year
under special resolves and by the
expenditure of third class highway
funds.
Totalling all of the items, it is
found that there will be added to the
| improved road system of Maine this
year on account of work under direc-
ton of the State Highway Commits
sion about $50 miles of new road dis
tributed in Practically every city and
town in the State.
In the bridge division some 35
projects have been put under con-
struction, the largest single project
being the International Bridge over
the st. John River between MAZDA
waska, Maine, and Edmundston. New
Brunswick. This bridge has a total
length of 942 feet and Will cost be-
tween $275, 600 and $4,000 one half
of which is to be paid by the State of
Maine and the other half by the
Dominion of Canada. During the
year the Lower Bridge, so called. at
Belfast has been completed and this
fine new structure will be dedicated
and opened to the public this month.
I The commission has had an es-
pecially active season in maintenance
work, having re-surfaced many miles
Of Stateaid highways which have
been constructed on the State high
way system, putting these roads into
good shape to carry the traffic.
The commission for the first time
this year has treated two of the
heaviest travelled sections of gravel
surfaced State highway with calcium
chloride for the purpose of keeping
down the dust. These sections are
from Benton to Bangor and from
Edgecomb to Thomaston. The treat
ment has proven to be very efficient
and many inquiries have been re-
ceived by the commission as to the
material used and the cost of the
treatment. The commission hopes in
1922 to treat many more miles of
gravel surfaced State highways in
the same way
The program of the. commission
fact that labor has been plentiful and
contractors have been willing and
anxious to undertake new projects
| This is a condition which has not
prevailed during any one of tho last
/ five years
| The work has been carried on dur
ing a most remarkable season. On
many jobs not over four DAYS have
been lost on account of bad weather
since the opening of the season early
in May.
1t is believed that the expenditures
! this year under the direction of the
Highway Commission for the work
will approximate sS0OO.0Oo.