Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-27
The Highway Enqineer

Concrete Highway MaSazlno)
Occasionally when motorlst
asccnds a ridge of mountains where
the road twists and turns. whcrc
solid rock walls tower on one side
and an imposing gorge yawns on
the other, he is impressed with one
of the engineering problems IN
highway construction. 1T is the
sensational job and the SEN
sational part of the job which
has impressed him and which
to him represents the engineering
in the construction of the highway.
But he docs not associate
engineering" with a comfortable
ride over a highway in ordinary
flat or rolling country. His car
moves along smoothly and seemingly
without effort. Grades are barely
noticed. 1t is necessary TO stop ana
slow down at curves, for somehow
the car has plenty of room and there
is no tendency to skid as he rounds
the curve. These things which make
tor safe and comfortable highway
travel he takes for grantcd-the
road is simply a good road.
Vet these details which help TO
make a pavement safe and comfort
able are as much a part of the en-
gineer's work as the more plctur-
esuue phase of the job which i'm
presses the casual observer. They
are the result of the process OF
adapting the road to the trafnc
il hcars-a JOB which has been put
Up TO the highway engineer.
Time was-and not so long ago
when the light loads and the slow
moving vehicles required little more
than a cleared path for travel, \
.tnts 20 20
dumped onto the road at especially
soft places. a ditch was dug on each
side of the Travelled way and the
read was built. 1t was the highway
engineers job to transform these
roads" into the tratilcwat of today.
capable of carrying almost as much
freight and many more passengers
than are transported over the COM
bincd railways of the nation.
Little time was available to effect
this transformation. The new
vehicle was already in use. doing
it's hest to serve the people over such
roads as were available. From 1910
to 1921 the number of motor vehicles
demanding highway service in
creased coco per cent. The public
clamored for highways capable OF
carrying this traffic quickly, safely
and economically.
With nothing in the way of pre-
vious experience to guide him and
little time for experiment. the high
way engineer undertook the colossal
task which in a few years grew to
be one of the nations principal in
duStrics. He was confronted with
problems in financing. ralflc. design.
equipment manufacture. material
supply construction and maiAten-
ance. He was hampercd by dearth
of engineers trained in highway
construction and administration
and by lack of contractors equip
ped to undertake the construction
of modern highways. But he labor
cd on and each year saw the con-
struction of greater milase of i'm
proved road. Each year more data
were available on the performance
of various types of road and their
suitability for motor traffic. Zach
year the problems of finance. traffic,
design. material supply and con-
struction were n little nearer Solu-
ton. And, in the meantime, the
country was being criss- crossed
with highways which are meeting
the demand of the public and which
are instrumental in developing the
resources of the nation to an extent
NSNSi pNI'lS approached.
Engineers in many lines of en-
ployment contributed to the sum
total of experience in highway con-
struction. The railway engineer
contributed his knowledge of loca-
ton and earth work. The engineer
In the employ of the equipment
manufacturer contributed his exper-
fence with construction machinery
and adapted existing equipment to
the needs of highway construction
or developed new equipment to meet
new requirements. The contractors
engineer studied construction prob
lens and increased the output of
road construction organizations.
The material Interests developed
designs of payments in an effort to
make their materials provide a bet
ter road at lower cost. In techni-
cal schools experiments were con-
Quoted and many engineers were en-
Eaged in research work on highway
problems. The vast army of high
way engineers in the municipal,
county. state and federal highway
departments were gaining expert
ence as they worked and their
experience were made available to
other engineers through the technical
press and through bulletins and re-
ports. All these contributed to the
general progress in highway con-
struction.
Though a great deal has been ac-
complished, there is still much more
to learn. especially in problems of
finance and traffic regulation. The
highway engineer is directing his
efforts toward the solution Of these
problems and in the meantime he
is building roads. He has provided
traff1cways which cut the cost of