Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-10-01
by Beck

In one case the state expended $4,000
on detour about three miles long.
Commissioner Bennett of Connech-
cut reports the following:
In one particular instance where
we had a piece of construction work
on one of our main routes about IS.
miles long, we 2eranged the detour
over hard surfaced roads (Which add
ed about mile to the distance to be
trayeled) and published bulletins call
ing attention to this route and de-
scrlbing it, We also erected at inter
sectlng roads and at confusing points
permanent signs indicating the route
to be travelled. These signs were not
only visible by day hut lighted by e.
! special electric lighting system at
night. Consequently there was a min
! imum of difficulty to traffic. In add
ton to this we kept the route in as
good a condition as possible by occa
sional repairs. All of the expense for
this work was borne by the state high
way department and in this instance
$4,000 for the entire job for one sea-
SON."
+ There is objection on the part of
most traffic to taking detcur roads
coupled with the desire to go through
or over the work. Where dctour
roads cannot be located except at very
considerable increased length, some
departments are now allowing traffic
to go through the work. This neces-
states building the surface one-half
at time, and is objectionable from a
construction point of view. In order
10 handle traffic in this way it is nee
essary to employ Waterman or flag
man to pass traffic first one way ana
, then the other This is done in both
Connecticut and Massachusetts.
What Engineers Say
! Chief Engineer Dean Of the Division
of Highways of the Massachusetts De-
partment of Public Works reports as
, follows with respect to this practice:
where construction has been going
on at points where a reasonably good
detour could not be obtained, it has
been our practice this year to con-
struct one-half of The road at time,
permitting tratcl to go through the
other half and in handling traffic
under this method we have stationed
traffic officers on the work. the num-
her varying from minimum of two
to maximum OF five. This has cost
us an average of about SEQ per day.
In addition to having officers we have
in three instances installed telephones,
so that the road could be opened to
traffic one way for one-half hour and
tnen open TO tFalf1C IN the Otner ulrec-
ton. This we have done on very i'm
portant Massachusetts through lines.
where there was conSIdera bic
amount Of traffic that could not be de-
toured. Where we employed officers
or installed telephones, the entire eX-
pcnse has been borne by the state. be
ing charged up, usually. as part of
the construction cost Of the project"
: connecticut's Problems
Commissioner Bennett Of Connecti-
cut sends us the following nforma-
ton relative to this method Of hand
ling traffic;
lat anotheri point where the route
was to be reconstructed and no avail
able detour could be secured, we divid-
ed the construction work in two divi-
sions. longitudinally, and passed the
traffic through by what is known as
the way method--at first by the
use of fagmen until it developed that
on account of the numerous curves in
the road. the expense of this method
was prohibitory. We then hit upon
the scheme of installing a field tele-
phone set. with a small house at either
end of the construction work, passing
the traffic by regular dispatch
method, using no flagmen. The cost
/ of this work varied from $4,000 per
day, where f1agmen were used for the