The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1921-06-02
STATEMENT BY WISCONSIN
HIGHWAY COMMISSION

recent letter from Illinois sent broad
east to the press Of the state, the
Wisconsin Highway Commission
deems it advisable to present briefly
to the people of the. state. the ac-
tual facts as 20 the states policy
and, plans in the matter of building
surfaced highways.
Wisconsin has won its high stand
ing as good road state through its
development of patrol maintenance
and gravel roads. State Highway
Engineer A. R. Hirst is probably the
foremost advocate of gravel roads
among the highway engineers OF the
country. The policy with which his
name is identified and which he has
frequently reiterated in public ad-
dresses is that we should not spend
ali of our funds or the major part
of them in building few miles OF
expensive types of surfacipg, but
that traffic must be served now and
this. can be done only by developing
and maintaining large mileage OF
the lower type of road. Because of
this policy, Wisconsin has attracted
nationwide attention.; and delega-
tions from other states have fire.
uuently visited our state. Recent
ly the governor of Illinois and a
large number Of the Illinois legisia-
ture visited Wisconsin to investigate
the patrol maintained gravel and
dirt roads.
In the matter of concrete-surfaced
has been to built this type of road
only when and where economically
justified; and any statement that it
has been the policy of the Commits
sion or of State Highway Engineer
Hirst to build them regardless OF
cost" is wholly without foundation
as the records show.
Because of the high prices asked
for concrete construction last year
the Department cut the construction
program in q drastic ways In many
instances refusing to approve con-
tracts because of the price asked,
even when local communities wished
to carry on the worth. When the
cement manufacturers refused to re-
duce their. price sufficiently early in
1921 Mr.. Hirst informed them that
the price must be cut as had the
price of other commodities. At
this request the Wisconsin Highway
Commission issued specific directions
that unless the price was reduced be-
low last years, Wisconsin would
cease to build concrete roads. The
result was reduction that will save
the state over $3OO,OO on this years
construction. AT Mr.. Hirst's sug-
gestion the Joint Highway Commit
tee of the Assembly and the Senate
has introduced bill in the legisla-
tu-e to permit the counties which
have bonded to build concrete roads
to change to other types of surfac-
ing where the price of concrete is
too high.
Contracts let in Wisconsin for IL
foot concrete roads from January 1st
to May 18th of this year range IN
total cost from $22, 500 to $40.8O0 per
mile and the average is $4,000 per
mile This cost is TIE total includ-
ing grading bridges, culverts, guard
rail and all other items. Grading
costs vary from a few hundred dol
lars up to over $1,000 per mile.
Culverts and bridges cost from 5000
to $500 per mile. Guard rail and
other items cost from nothing to
$1,000 per mile of concrete road con-
tracted for. The cost of the con-
crete surface alone varies from $751;
coo to $4,000 per mile. These costs
cover Ut miles of highway.
Published figures that the average
cost per mile of conracts let in an
eastern state so far this year is
over 100000 a mile, and in many of
the American states contracts for
concrete roads are being let for
figures much higher than those pre-
vailing in Wisconsin.
However, figures of comparative
costs mean little unless all factors
are considered. Conditions as to
grading, draining, haul of materials
cost of materials, thickness of con-
crete, mixture of concrete, and many
other factors entering into the total
cost will inevitably so vary the cost
between stares and between differ
ent portions of the same state, and
even between roads in the same
county, that bare statement of the
relative cost of this Or that road
without a statement of every attend
ant circumstance offers no basis fol
comparison.
If a state wishes to select only
the easiest and cheapest stretches OF