The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-04-17
COMMISSIONERS DIX EXPLAINS
Continued from Page l.

and grass have grown up and obscured
the approach making them veritable
death traps. Suitable guard rails would
solve the problem in this case.
| The commissioner said that applica-
tions for state aid on bridges should be
/ put in before the construction work on
the bridge is started. or there may be
difficulty in. securing it. There is at
| present a good balance in the bridge
/ fund. but if the funds continue to be
used as now seems likely. they will be
/ pretty well exhausted by the end of the
season.
| a rule has been established that no
! applications will be approved for bridge
/ construction which are received at the
! state Office after Aug - in any year.
| In this way it is hoped to have the work
| completed before cold weather comes, as
| building bridges during the cold weather
| IS much more expensive Only in emer-
| gencies will this rule be altered. No
state aid is available for bridges other
| than those on state selected roads.
Commissioner Dix called attention to
| the law requiring that covered bridges
shall have openings cut in them so that
the view of the road viii be clear for
| both approaches to the bridge.
| The speaker explained the law re-
garding the five per cent state highway
| tax. This tax is paid into the state
| treasury by the towns and is then re-
apportioned among them for road work.
| ether explanations were made on spe-
cial appropriations to take advantage of
| state aid for road work. The commits
| sioner urged that selections of location
1 fer road work be made without personal
| consideration entering in. He suggested
| that new road work be done to connect
up pieces of road already completed in
order to have continuous stretches so
| far as possible; also that those roads
| hp fpH rxrhi nb hpaa L
up traffic early in the spring and late
! in the fall; and that, further. the X. f..
| ID. routes be given special consideration
in these selections. as well as routes
| which have the heaviest travel.
Mr.. Dix recommended fine gravel,
| that from which the larger stones has
| heen removed as a surface material for
road building. He said that this will
! increase the first cost of construction,
but viii save money later on. A drag
cannot be effectively operated on a road
| filed with big stones. The roadway be-
low the surface of three or four inches
should be of the best material available
| in the locality in which the road is be-
| ing built
Commissioner Dix also recommended
the use of large culverts.. The usual size
has been from eight to 10 inches in
diameter. This is large enough if they
are kept open all the time. but that is
have the culvert from u to II inches
Sub-grades require rolling with a heavy
roller in order to have them thoroughly
compact, with a firm, smooth surface
Thorough drainage is another important
point. bitches are often not wide OF
deer enough. Under drainage should be
given particular care, also.
Commissioner Dix took up the sub
ject of laying dust and of washbOard
roads. He said that these are two OF
the worst things which the state high
way department has TO contend with at
the present time The actual causes OF
washboard road is the automobile oper
ated at high speed. it has been pretty
definitely determined Calcium chloride
applied to the road is the best cure as
far as is known at the present time
This lays the dust, and while it does
not alone cure the washboards effect, it,
use, followed by thorough dragging
helps the condition a great deal.
The commissioner did not recommend
the use of light asphalt oils as dust
aver. He said that il Is very essential
that road surface be cleared of dust and
put in the best condition possible before
applying bituminouS materials. He APP.
proved of the use of taryia, but said il
was rather expensive.
In construction work. he recommended
the use of local road material so far as
practicable. rather than trying to bring
material from a long distance. He gave
some good advice about the hiring Of
men for the season and told of the
equipment which the state highway de
partment has on hand ready to rent Il
the towns this season.
G. NJ. Brooks took up the matter Of
unsolicited highway work. resurfacng
and patrol. and emphasized cooperation
between town officers and state patro