Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-16
HIGHWAY SPECIFICATIONS
ARE AGREED ON BY EXPERTS
Lincoln Highway Technical Men Decide
on Section of Road Embodying Best
Engineering Opinion.

A group of the leading highway en-
gineers of America. sitting in New
York in a two-day conference as
technical committee of the Lincoln
Highway Association to decide on
specifications for the ideal section to
be built on the Lincoln highway as
an example to the world of the best
type of main travelled highway that
can be constructed, have agreed on
the principal specifications.
The engineers had before them the
specific problem of des gning a sec
ton which, without compromise with
the question of available funds. would
represent the consensus of the best
. engineering opinion of the United
States as to the most economical in
veStment of public funds on main in
terstate routes of travel. The United
States Rubber Company, which has
furnished the funds for the conStruc-
tion OF the section. has expressed the
hope that section can be built that
will be the best that modern en-
gineering can devise and that at the
same time will be in it's essential
details within the reach of the pocket
book of the average state or munich
pality.
General Specifications.
The following general specifications
were adopted. subject to review at
the final meeting of the committee
to be held soon in Chicago:
l. The specifications for the ideal
section are to be predicated upon an
average traffic of $4,000 passenger au-
tomcbiles per twenty four-hour day.
travelling at speed of thirty-five
miles per hous. and 5000 motor trucks
Ger -four-hour day, travelling
At an average speed of ten miles per
hour.
2. The width of right-of-way for
the ideal section shall be 100 feet.
3. The drainage for the ideal sec
ton shall consist of submerged drain
tile and catch basins.
4. The ideal section shall be con-
structed of concrete. ten inches thick.
with reinforcing steel imbedded.
5. The ideal section shall be de-
signed with earth shoulders on each
side of the concrete.
6. The ideal section shall be
lighted.
Z. The ideal section's technical
committee recommends that neither
should be built without adequate, in
telligent, continuous and prompt
maintenance being provided.
Should Embody No Curves.
8. The ideal section should en-
body no curves having a radius of
less than 1000 feet, and. wherever
reasonably possible, curves should be
eliminated entirely.
9. Curves on the ideal section shall
be superelevated for speed of
thirty-five miles per hour.
10. The ideal section shall pro-
vide footpath for pedestrians.
II. The ideal section shall be
signs and all embankments shall be
protected by guard rails.
IL. Specifications for the ideal sec
ton shall be predicated on the ulti-
mate regulation of motor truck de-
sign. limiting the superimposed load
to 500 pounds per inch of width of
tire actually in contact with the road
surface and to 5000 pounds per
wheel.
13 On the ideal section all cross
IA. The technical committee recon-
mends the establishment of comfort
stations. park sites and camp sites
along the ideal section
Is. All wires along the ideal Sec
ton shall be placed under ground.
Is. All advertising signs are pro-
hibited along the right-of-way OF the
ideal section and all signs of direc..
ton or distance. except those placed
or authorized by proper state au-
thority. are prohibited.
Originate mt Headquarters.
II. 1t is the sense of the ideal
sections technical committee that all
distance markings should originate
at the municipal headquarters of any
town or city.
Is. It is the sense of the ideal
sections technical committee that in
SO far as may be practical all Cd
structions to the vision shall be re-
moved at intersecting roads for a
distance of at least 500 feet each
way from the intersection.
1t had been expected when the
technical committee was called into
it's first formal session that consid-
cradle difference of opinion would
develop on many of the major items.
and that there might be deadlock
on some points. but at the meeting
was found to exist among those haV-
ing in charge highway construction
Of the utmost Importance.
Some of the foremost highway en-
gineers in the United States were
present at the conference. A rough
of the committee had collectively
Jurisdiction over the expenditures OF
considerably more than quarter OF
a billion dollars for highways.
All of the decisions were unanimous;
with the exception Of the total travel
upon which the specifications are pre-
dicated, in which one member dis
scented. and the item number twelve
predicating specifications upon a reg
ulation of motor truck design, to
which one member dissented.
Well Above Present Width.
It should be noted that the width
of ri9ht-of-way decided upon. i.e.. 100
feet, is well above that in general
use at this time. 1t is also interest
ing to note that the board of engi-
neers passing upon this question has
arbitrarily assumed that the limits OF
highway design can be drawn at a
total traffic density per day of 10000
mixed passenger and freight vehicles
and that when traffic passes this point
it is desirable to construct another
crease the width or strenNh Of the
existing road to the end of concentrat-
Ing the additional travel upon it,
The unanimous agreement OF the
technical committee upon the neces-
sity of submerged drain tile and
catch basins rather than the preya-