Norwich bulletin., 1922-04-01
DIVISION ENGINEER BUSHELL TALKS
ON CONNECTICUT HIGHWAY WORK

whether it actually Is rock or earth
thus reducing the gamble to him and
making it more scientific The contractor
has enough other unknown elements.
He doesn't know what the weather will
be, nor what he will have to pay for
labor three months ahead, nor how his
machinery will operate without break
downs. Another reason for calling for
bids on unit price basis is because of
changes that become necessary as the
construction goes on. Many times in
building a road we cut into the top of
hill only to find that we strike into ma
terial useless for sub-grade. In such
a case we just order in SO many more
square yards of telford or stone base
as the case may be. The unit price bid
gives US chance to change the line or
grade as the work progresses and con-
| ditions change. The engineer has to see
that all these changes are made, see
that the work is satisfactory in quality
| and keep track of the various units for
the contractors payments. So much for
| the organization of the department
Now as to the road system. In Con-
| necticut there are three systems of roads,
the trunk line system, the state aid sys-
| tenn and the town roads
| The trunk line system has been laid
out and designated as such by the past
| legislatures. In general they are the
| through routes between the cities and
| towns. They are trunk lines because
| by legislative act they are so called. The
| trunk lines in the state have not yet
| all been built. There are a good many
uncompleted pieces in the system, and a
good many miles Of trunk lines were
| built a long time ago for much lighter
| traffic than we now have. However,
| if trunk line has ever been built It
| ism maintained by the maintenance de-
partment. All repairs and maintenance
! on trunk lines are paid for out of mon
| ey received from auto taxes.
i The state aid roads are generally feed
| ers to the trunk line, and are such roads,
| built by the department and pad for in
| part by the towns and in part by mon
| ey appropriated by the legislature. The
| commissioner in conference with the Sc
| lectmen of the town generally picks the
roads to be improved in this system, and
| after they are built the state pays three
| quarters and the towns the one quarter
| the maintenance, the actual work of
maintaining being done by the state.
The town system or roads consists
of the remaining roads in the state, into
the maintenance of which the state does
not enter.
The state also maintains all bridges
on roads which they have constructed
and all bridges over Is feet in span on
| trunk lines which have never been con-
structed.
The money for the construction OF
roads comes from legislative appropri-
| atoms of the state. Lately there have
been Federal Aid appropriations. Under
the Federal Aid Act certain sums were
apportioned to each state according tc
It's area population, etc, provided the
state matched tie federal appropriation
dollar for dollar, and provided further
that the federal government would moi
put in more than $4,000 per mile for its
share. That is, If q. road cost up tc
$4,000 per mile the federal governments
would pay one-haf. If road costs more
than $4,000 $4,000 and no more.
The money for maintenance of tht
roads all comes from the auto taxes
either the tax for Licenses, sr, this
amount to cannot yet be determined
The money derived from the toll bridges
all goes back directly to the genera
fund of the state and is not disable fol
the construction or maintenance of roads
So much for the road system and fol
the financing of the work on them
1t may be interesting to note what hal
been a-ent in eastern Connecticut the pas
few years Without counting any none,
spent in maintenance, just on new con
struction and reconstruction, in 1917 Their,
was spent in this Norwich division 1874,
6S3.8S, in 1918 00,624.44, in 1919 1923,
576.95, in 1920. S179,373.13 and in 1921
1912, 071.o7. These figures are for road
finished in those fiscal years In 1872
there will be finished contracts amount
ing to $2.526. 10000 which includes tn
new Hartford-New London Pike
Among the roads built the past fey
years Of help to eastern Connecticut
which, of course helps Norwich, can b
mentioned the Norwich-Groton road O
the east side of the Thames river tn
Norwich Westerly road, the three piece
of concrete between New London an
Westerly making the road passable it
whole length. the Thompson Brandy Hi
road completing the improved road t
Worcester, the transformation of the OF
railroad bridge at New London into
highway bridge, Wilma ntic7Staffor
Springs road, bridge over Shc
tucRet river at TaftvilIe, and a goo
many others.
This coming year in Eastern Connect
| cut contracts are now in force for thre
miles of road between Bozrahville an
Colchester at a cost of about $4,000. for
; miles in two sections on the Norwich
, Kesterly road at a cost of $4,000, foy
miles between Danielson and the r. l. lin
which will make the shortest route b.
I tween Norwich and Providence. at a co
Of $150,000, Tour miles between Blacl
| hall and Mantle on the Shore road at
| cost of about 500, 000 two miles b.
tween West THOMPSON asd Grosvenorda
: at a cost OF about $50, 600, tie reconstru'
} | ton of the Mystic River bri1ge at a GO
of $4,000 the finishing atp of 81 mill
, | Of the Hartford-New London road at
cost of about s17Oo,o00 It SENS
: if eastern Connecticut is getting its shal
: Of roads although it is easy to think
many miles of road still needed, and neet
ed badly.
. When it comes to the building Of roaJ
S there are certain elements which les
10 the decision as to type of road selecte
r A great many people wonder why v
n don't build concrete roads entirely; wi
we don't build our roads wider; why Y
= don't build our roads without stopp:r
r traffic and above all why we don't hui
{ roads without making detours. All the
: questions can be answered in few wor'
: by saying that It IS all a question