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

public employing detours involving |
some Inconvenience or building roads 4
wherever possible half at time at .
much greater cost so that less roads |
can be built with 9 given amount or |
money.
building roads half at a time also |
does not eliminate altogether condi- |
tons uncomfortable and disagreeable
One-way traffic as rule is inevitable /
and upon roads carrying q heavy !
traffic delays more or less long can
DC avoided tide The pess ssH e be
jury or fatalities to workInen en- !
ployed where heavily travelled roads !
are built half at time. The work.
men cannot always remain upon the
branches of the work make 1t neceS-
sary for them TO stand upon the sec
ton not under construction and upon
which traffic is carried. Since they
efforts upon their work, they are not
taking the precautions which an ordi-
nary pedestrian takes in avoiding We
hicleS There are always of course
some drivers who properly do not con-
slider this feature so that accidents
to workmen employed in the building
of pavements half at a time are rath-
er to be expected"
Opinions of Contractors
l have discussed this question of in
creased cost incident to building pave
ments one half at a time with consid-
cradle number of contractors. Twenty
five per cent is the amount they have
! usually named as the probable addi-
! tional expense. This happens to be
! the amount assumed by the Rhode
| Island board in their discussion. Even
in the case of gravel surfaced roads
contractors have told me the added
cost for constructing and finishing
roads with traffic running over them
! is from $1,000 to $1,000 per mile. or
from s to 16 per cent. in the cost OF
the road
! The ultimate solution of handling
this traffic is in my judgment coming
! through the widening of present roads.
which we shall surely see undertaken
within the next 10 years. If this
work is done by first widening the
grade before disturbing the present
road surface, we shall have room to
pass traffic on the original surface
while the extra width of grade is be-
ing built. When subgrade and foun-
dations have been completed on the
new width of road traffic can then be
turned upon the same while adjust
ments of grade and foundation work
arc being done on the original road
way The surface or pevement can
then be laid one half at time, for the
width will be such as to make the lay
ing of one half at a time much more
practical than is the case with a mar
row pavement.
I believe we will all agree that
traffic will he much better suited if
allowed to pass along the highway
under construction. Would it not be
good business then to expend money
now used upon detour roads or in pay
ing the extra cost of constructing
pavement or surface one half at a
time, in widening present roadbeds
and temporarily surfacing the same
so that traffic can pass along the high
way without unduly interfering with
construction work? This would give
us additional widths of shoulders
which is the greatest single element
of safety necessary to a good pave
ment of sufficient width and make
room for future widening of the sur
face proper. The expense Of such
work. taking one mile with another
throughout any considerable system
of state highways, would not, I be-
lieve. average much more per mile
than tho expense of constructing and
maintaining detour roads.
The question of handling traffic dur
ing construction is one which can be
made much easier and more agreeable
for all parties if spirit Of co-opera-
,tion is manifest on the part of both
users and builders of the highways.