Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-08-17
ROCK ASPHALT
MAY BE PUT DOWN
kentucky's Own Product May Be
Used For Reconstructing
Lexington Pike

The people of Madison county
are showing considerable interest
in the RiChmond-Lexington pike
which will be reconstructed and
hard surfaced this year and next
The contract will be let the State
Highway Department at Frank
fort on August 23rd.
1t is the general opinion that
this road will be surfaced with
Kentucky rock asphalt, as this
type of pavement has been thor
oughly tried out in Kentucky and
given highest satisfaction Tie
best known Kentucky rock as
phalt road in this vicinity is a sec
tion Of the Midland Trail just
west of Lexington. This was
, formerly an old macadam road
and early in 1917 it was surfaced
with Kentucky rock asphalt. To-
day this road is in perfect condi-
ton. in spite of the fact that il
carries about fifteen million
pounds of tobacco in steel tired
wagons each year. No money
has been spent for maintenance
Of the rock asphalt surface
Another famous Kentucky rock
asphalt highway is Eighteenth
Street road, or Dixie Highway,
leading south from Louisville to
Camp Knox. This road was built
in 19l5-l0. During the war it
carried about four thousand heav-
lily loaded army trucks d day. This
highway is still the show road OF
Jefferson county and has attract
ed the attention of engineers
thruout the country because OF
its remarkable endurance under
army traffic.
Kentucky rock asphalt is strict
ly a Kentucky product, and it is
being produced by Kentucky men
and Kentucky capital. 1t comes
from Edmonson county where
hundreds of acres OF natural as
phalt rock are found: The rock
is quarried, crushed anI pulver-
ized, 1t is then ready to spread
on the road and-when rolled gives
a smooth surface, a surface equal
III every respect to the finest as
phalt streets in cities.
Kentucky rock asphalt roads
are not slippery like many other
hard surfaces. kentucky rock
asphalt is being used in steep
grades in preference to other
types The Germantown Hill
road near Dayton, Ohio, was paw
ed with Kentucky rock asphalt in
1910. Although this is seven
per cent grade, farmer living
along the road recently stated he
/ had not seen horse slip or an
, automobile skid since the road
was paved The main drive in
the cemetery at frankie is paw
ed with this material In many
places this grade is from nine to
ten per cent.
Kentucky rock asphalt makes
smooth, noiseless and resilient
road. There is no dust nor glare
The material seemingly never
loses its life and does not crack
or roll under the heaviest traffic.
Most of the best roads in Ken
lucky are paved with Kentucky
rock asphalt and several other
: important highways are under
construction or under contract
Sections of the ackson and Dix
lie Highways in Tennessee also
are being paved with this natural
asphalt Almost one hundred
miles Of Kentucky rock asphalt
roads are being built in Ohio,
among them being a long section
of the famous National Road
near Columbus. O. Rock asphalt
from Kentucky is being used for
heavy traffic roads and city
streets in fourteen states. The
7, United States Bureau of Roads
classes it with the very highest
| types of road material.