The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-12-31
Building Roads
in America
Business Depression Has Not
Materially Curtailed Con-
struction Program

New York, Dec. 26-The officials
and citizens Of Sumter county may
not realize, perhaps, that through
the SUN Of $500. 900 which they are
reported as contemplating spending
or as voting TO spend in the near
future for roads and bridges they
Will share 70 no little extent in car
ryinS out the greatest era Of road
building and street construction in
history and are helping their fell
low Americans realize a laudable
ambition 10 make American high
ways the finest in the world.
Carefully complied statistics bas-
ed upon reports received during
August. September, October and
November 1921, from 1901 states,
counties, townships and munich
palities show that the industrial de-
preston that has existed during the
past year has affected the road
building program but slightly With
more than one billion dollars avail
able all told, and the new Federal
Aid law now in effect and making
f5,000,G00 in new funds avail
able in Federal Aid during the COM
ing year, the country has never eX-
perienced such a road building
boom as the spring of 1922 prom
ises to be-
Reports show that during the
past four months new streets and
road projects were announced as
contemplated but not yet voted to
a grand total Of s242,994;623, of
which the sum Of $211, ,1S0,7G0 is
for. roads and s31,S13,923 for
streets. In addition, the American
taxpayers, during August, Septenl-
Der, october and November, actual
ly voted s23S.690,136 for new
streets and roads and the public
officials sold 40,656,S0S worth OF
road and street Improvement bonds
For streets the sum Of 1880, IA
was voted and s25.791,6S1 in bonds
were sold. For roads the sum vot-
ed was s20l,359,9S2 and the bonds
sold were $114,S65, ,127. The re-
ports showed new street improve
ments to be contemplated or ac-
fually under way in 559 cities and
towns
Uv;,t, 1,oc4 .,,,o,c c,,cI, 90 +r,oco ? =
be expended next year, over and
above amounts previously author
lied it can be readily seen that the
American people are in earnest
about this matter Of good roads and
are taking TO heart the fact that
eighty-five per cent. Of our high
ways are yet to be surfaced and
made practicable for modern motor
traffic
That our cities are making tre-
mendous strides in street paving is
indicated in reports from city engi-
neers to The Asphalt Association
New York, which indicates that ov-
er thirty million square yards
equivalent to 1,750 miles of asphal.
tic pavement, thirty feet wide, were
laid on city streets this year Re-
ports from State Highway Depart.
ments indicate that twenty-three
million square yards We're laid or
the state highways while the area
laid in counties and other districts
brought the total to $4,000
square yards equivalent to 6,C0(
miles Of asphalt pavements 1S fee1
wide. This. is more than sufficient
to build one asphalt road eighteen
feet wide from Augusta, Maine to
San Francisco, Cal, and another
from Augusta, Maine 10 New Or
leans.
The great change which has
come over the system Of road and
street building recently is the rea-
lization that the material of a road
should not be capable Of absorbing
water, but water proofed. Not only
does rain percolate through and
destroy q road but when frost comes
it heavcS the pavement and fouda-
tion. Prolonged drought is also
very harmful to plain macadan
surfaces which become dusty and
ravcl.
Impact is a new and destructive
enemy of pavements. When a load
ed motor truck weighing With its
load 22,50o pounds and moving al
q rate OF fifteen miles an hour en-
counters an obstacle on the high
way sufficient to give the rear whee