The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-05-11
COUNTY BOARD TO
Use time CARDS
All Bills for County Must In Future
Bear Date and Place Where
Work 10 Done.


duced at the present session Of the
legislature was given the board Of
county commissioners by T. L. Cant.
chairman Of the Joint Commission on
Good Roads at the regular meeting Of
the board yesterday.
The bill provides for:
An act to authorize the State Road
Department to enter into an arrange
ment or agreement with the county
commissioners Of Escambia county to
construct as part Of the state highway
system certain roads and bridges in
Escambia county and the bridge over
the delta Of the Escambia river and to
accept in payment thereof the proceeds
of the sale Of the county bonds author
ICED by vote Of the people Of Escambia
county.
Included in the proposed projects is
the building Of the bridge over Escam-
bia river between Santa Rosa and Es-
Gambia counties, a structure to be
more than 1000 feet long with about
5000 feet earth fill at an estimated
cost Of between $650.000 and 100000.
or II OF concrete between $2.000,000
and $s.ooo.ooo. The bilf requests fed
eral aid to be asked for later, on the
building of the roads.
A written report from the committee
which inspected the roads Of South
Florida In reference to the building
Of Escambia's new roads, was received
as follows:
The Board Of County Commissioners Of
Escambia County and the Joint Commits
sion on Road Improvement.
Pensacola. Fla. Nav A. 1921.
Gentlemen:
Your committee has made its inspec-
ton trip over the roads Of South Florida
and begs to submit it's report as follows:
/. Territory Covered
Briefly, the itinerary Of the trip made
is as follows: Pensacola. Tallahassee,
Jacksonville, Haines City, Barlow, Lake
land, Plant City, Tampa, st. Petersburg.
Bradentown. Deland, Daytona, Miami,
w. Palm Beach, Palm Beach; back up the
East Coast to st. Augustine and Jack
sonville, thence back to Pensacola, via
Tallahassee. AS much Of the ground was
covered by automobile as was thought
to be practicable, without making the
cost too high. About SIS miles was thus
made.
2. General Road Conditions
The counties Of South Florida generally
have splendid system Of good roads.
and the development Of the country has
amply justified the expenditures made.
However, many miles of these seeming
permanent roads are Of temporary ma
ture, the use of which could not be JUS
titled In this county where we are fl
nancing with bonds covering period
Of 80 years.
g. Types
The roads Of the territory are Of many
types; brick, sheet asphalt, asphalt pen
etration. plain and bituminous. macadam,
asphalt block and concrete being among
the pavements. A discussion of the
principal types follows:
N(a) Brick. laid on sand-The commit
tee went over many miles of ungrouted
brick, laid on sand. These roads are
failing under traffic and no one seen
argues in favor Of this construction.
(b) Grouted brick, on sand-The roads
Of this type over which the committee
travelled are new, and the committee be-
lieves that under heavy traffic they will
not stand UP. Laid on a base Of rock
or concrete, it has proven in the cities
under heavy traffic to be one Of the best.
(c) Asphalt block-The committee
visited the asphalt block plant at Tampa
and went into the process Of manufac-
ture. The streets and roads on which
the blocks have been used were visited
and the foundation conditions. the traf-
fic, and other factors investigated. Many
miles of this pavement generally reputed
to have been laid on sand, are on old
shell and rock, or macadam road founda-
ton. Where laid on sand and subjected
to heavy traffic. 1t Is developing wavy
surface somewhat similar to that COM
mon to all bituminous surfaces laid
without adequate foundation. Where
traffic Is restricted to light passenger
service heavy trucks being prohibited. 1T
is holding up well. The celebrated
Memorial drive at Tampa, surfaced with
asphalt block, laid on sand cushion
of varying thickness on an old shell base,
Is beginning to give trouble, the failure
seeming to occur where sand was used
to I'LL low places in the grade of the old
road. Much Of the sand in the vicinity
Of Tampa contains a very high percent
age Of shell and should form a much
more compact base for road than that
found in this county. Your
committee does not recommend the as
phalt block laid without foundation on
sand in this county.
(d) Sheet asphalt.-Many miles OF
thin sheet asphalt have been laid on clay
base in some Of the counties visited. This
construction is not considered permanent
enough to be laid on this county's bond
issue system. If laid on foundation or
rock 1t would merit consideration.
(e) Penetration" type bituminous
Macadam-A splendid penetration" pro- |
cess road has been developed in the vi
entity of Palm Beach, using soft in
ferior local rock for base and selected,
harder limestone. known as Ojus rock,
Tor the wearing course. This has proved
very economical system there where
the rock is located but would not. in the
Judgment of the committee, prove so
mere, SO far, from the source of the rock
supply. These roads require frequent
'oiling to keep in condition.
4. Recommendation
The committee recommends that this |
county include among the types on
lowing types.
Cd Concrete: (2) grouted brick on
compacted rock or gravel base: (3)
grouted brick on concrete base; a. as
phalt block on compacted rock or gravel
base: (5) asphalt block on concrete base;
(6) Kentucky rock asphalt on similar
base courses.
The committee believes that the county
might well investigate the Birmingham
Stag penetration type Of surface with a !