Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-02-22
maine BRIDGES
Subject of Address by
State Bridge Engi-
neer
Probiems In Bridge Construction IN
State Discussed by /. N. Edwards
Of Ststs Highway Department at
Meeting Of Augusta League Of
Women Voters Tuesday Evening

That the State Of Maine IL not keep
ing UP with the growth in the auto
valuation Of the program Of road con-
struction and repair. was the state
nent OF l.. N. Edwards, bridge engi-
neer for the State Highway Commits
sion, at q meeting Of the Augusta
League of Women voters held Tues
day evening at the "Y' Assembly hail.
Mr. Edwards said that while .th,
value of the cars owned in this State
had increased $50 per cent. since 1915
and the amount Of money that was
used for the purpose Of maintaining
and building roads had increased Gao
Per cent. yet we were not keeping up
as the value Of the dollar at this timo
was such that the actual amount of
value received from the money spent
was only about $50 per cent. Of that
in 1915.
Mr.. Edwards gave a. fine talk on the
subject of The Bridges Of Maine"
He told of the early history of bridges.
when the rivers and streams were the
principal highways, and when the
maximum load was probably two tons;
bringing them up through the years
until the present time when loads Of
10 tons are not uncommon. He said
that these roads have not reached
their limit and that bridge engineers
have run into new problem recently
that of speed which makes STRESSES
that have never bothered before.
Also. the roads are being used more
and more for pleasure and 1t is the
opinion Of Mr.. Edwards that in time
1t win be necessary to make the
bridges with more of an eye to beau-
ty than has been done in the past.
He told of the laws Of the state
which provide that a town which HAS
within its borders a bridge that Is
necessary for traffic and that Is Sit
uated on public highway. may re-
ceive aid from the county and the
State. The working Of this law was
explained and In this connection he
told of the fact that 1t calls for sur
vey of the bridge to be sent in at the
time aid is asked. The survey, he
said was in many cases made by an
engineer who was not familiar with
bridge work and the result was that
tho survey was worthless.
Another shortcoming of the law is
that the State highway department.,
which does the drafting for the bridga.
cannot start work on the plans until
the money for the towns part Of the
projec' Is provided for. This often
causes work on the plans to hang fire
until the actual field work should
have begun.
He told of the method that Is now
in operation in regard to the bids
on the structures. The old way was
for the contractor to bid on the job
in lump, but this has been
changed and now the bid is made
upon a set price for each cubic yard
of cement placed, or of dirt taken
from cut, or for each pound of
iron placed. In this way. the con-
tractor gets pay for the actual work
done and it is thought that the sys-
TEN effects saving to the State.
Some of the ideas which are held
about the state Highway Depart
ment and which are erroneous were
then taken up. These include the
idea that the department has plans
all drawn up and waiting on the
shelf for bridges OF different sizes,
that the department has a right to
condem bridge and that it is re-
quired to inspect bridges.
The new law which was passed
last year fixes it so that q town may
post bridge and anyone who travels
that bridge with a load greater than
the one posted is liable not only to
the damage to his own property, in
the event that his car or truck goes
through the bridge, but also to the
damage to the bridge. In this law
there is no sign Of a limit to the
time that this posting may be con-
tinued and there is also no minimum
weight so that town may post the
bridge for any small weight and for.
all time and so protect itself. This
is a hardship to the owners of trucks
as in the case of a town which Mr..
Edwards personally knew OF. The
State law regarding the weight Of
truck and load which may be driven
over road Is not over nine tons,
while in the case OF this town the
bridges are posted for four tons, or
less than half the weight which the
State law allows on the roads,
After this interesting address, Mr..
Edwards gave a short illustrated
talk, showing pictures of many
structures in this and other states
and explaining the good and bad
points of the bridges seen on the
screen.
Previous to the talk, a short BUSH
ness meeting of the League
was held with the president, Mrs.
Herbert Merrill in the chair.