The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-28
Heavy Vehicles CompIicate
Road Building Plans of g. s.
Does Cheap Transportation
Compensate for DestruetiOnl
U. S. PROBES ROAD QUESTION
Bureau VIII Investigate Wear
Caused by Heavy Traffic.
Size of Freight Autos Increases
as Use Becomes General.

The proper regulation OF unusually
large motor trucks because OF their
wear and tear on the nations high
wsys or of restricting their use to
certain roads designed for them, is
suggested for consideration in the an
nUal report OF the bureau Of public
roads Of the United States department
of agriculture. The bureau. under the
supervision OF which federal aid
funds Amounting to $20.0O0,000. have
been expended on highways costing
s467, 600, 600 in the last five years, as
serts that the problem OF the heavy
truck is one OF prime importance,
pressing each year with more weight
for solution, which. while to be hastily
solved. ultimately must be met
squareIy.
Larger Vehicles Being Used.
1.-THE reduced unit cost of operation
which follows from the transportation
Of commodities in greater bulk tends
TO promote the development and use of
vehicles of the largest capacity when
can be used to advantage" the bureau
says. ut is desirable to gain this ad-
vantage. if it is actually an advantage
but il Is this point which IS seriously
in doubt. The doubt arises from the
fact that the roads which are adequate
trucks are entirely unable TO support
the weight Of the heavier trucks, and
TO build roads which VIII cary the
heavy vehicles via greatly increase the
costs OF construction.
Better Roads or Smaller Trucks?
Whether the operation Of the heav-
Ter vehicles shall be restricted to a
class Of roads especially designed to
accommodate them. or whether all
"a az - F1a e. p q n
for unrestricted use, or whether the
third course shall be adopted and the
operation of the heavier trucks pro-
hibited. will depend upon the relation
which is found to exist between re-
duced operating cost and increased /
cost OF construction.
The prime importance Of an accu- /
rate knowledge of the weights of the [
vehicles which are to use the roads /
constructed is well illustrated by the
experience Of one Of the states in /
which the bureau OF public roads made /
an extensive Investigation during the
past year
Ten years ago this state set out
upon the constructions Of a system OF /
roads, The roads were designed and !
built to meet all the reasonable de- +
mands of the traffic which then could 4
he fOreseen. In the brief time which I
has elapsed roads have been con- /
structed which penetrate to all parts I
~ the state. some Of which. however, /
have been seriously damaged by heavy I
motor vehicles. The use OF which could /
rot have been foreseen when the roads /
were constructed
Road Paid own Cost.
our investigation reveals that in (
this case the return from the roads in /
the reduction in the cost of transpor-
tation Ind n the development Of the /
territory they3traverse has undoubted- /
~ compensated the loss resulting from I
rhe-r destruction. but it is not BY any
means certain that the outcome wiz T
be so fortunate under other coudi- f
lions.
For the security Of the enormous 7
investment which is being made by the I
states and federal government 1T is 7
imperative that this question Of the {
duty which the roads will be called /
upon to render in the future shall be +
definitely determined. A clearer con- /
.ceptton of the relative economy of +
heavy and light vehicles can be gained /
by careful study.
Investigate Roads Further
The bureau is engaged in 5avestfga- I
tionS designed to determine accurately /
the load carrying capabilities of vari- (
ems kinds Of roads. Of various thick
uesses upon different kinds Of subsous (
"a study which Will yield valuable +
Information in meeting the problem +
outlined above. These experiments /
are being conducted in various sec /
tons of the country. in cooperation (
with state and highway departments /
and at the bureaus experiment sta
tons. Another problem presenting it [
self for solution and under fnvestfea- /
ton is the variance of the classes of /
traffic to be served in different 10 /
calitiez.
Approved projects for federal aid in /
road-huiid.ug. up to the end Of the |
past fiscal year. the bureau states I
cover 25.A02 miles for the five-year
period ended June 80 last. and in
tolve the expenditure OF S5S1.0OO-O0O. |
OF which neariy s24S.O00.000 repre- /
sents the federal governments con-
tributiou. The total mileage Of COM
pIeted federal aid projects during the
past fiscal year was $500 and the
average cost per mile S1s.035.