Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-03-02
HOW DOLLAR IS SPENT
ON 96 ROAD PROJECTS
Georgia Highway Department Is.
sues Interesting Report On
Work Completed


ATLANTA, March 2.-Less than
six cents out of every dollar spent
by the state highway department for
road construction goes for engineer
ing, supervision and maintenance,
according to the report of the de-
partment, detailing the expenditure
of the $4,000, ,6o7 used in the con-
struction of the first 90 road and
bridge projects that have been com
pleted in the state.
The 96 projects which have been
completed represent a total Of 535
miles of highway and 25,679 linear
feet of bridges, according to the
report, The contracts for this. work.
were awarded at the peak of high
prices, the 1919-1920 period, W. R.
Neal, engineer for the department
states.
The greater part of the bridges
are Of concrete and steel, it is stat
ed, and if placed end to end they
would stretch over nearly five miles
of water The 535 miles Of high
way consists of 1868 miles Of top
soiled or sand clay surfaced road
way; 118 miles of roadway surfaced
with brick, asphalt Or concrete; "A
miles of macadam, gravel or ebert
surfaced roadway, and 1877 miles of
road for which no surfacing ma
terials have yet been provided.
Of the total amount expended,
2.36 cents out of every dollar went
for administration and 358 cents
for engineering and supervision.
bringing the total to less than six
Cents.
1t is stated that before the state
highway department was authorized
to furnish engineers to the counties
to survey the different highway
projects, the engineering and super
vision cost of the roads to the coun-
ties employing private engineers was
in the neighborhood of seven and a
half cents for every dollar expended
in construction, or more than dou-
BILE the amount now being spent by
the state for this service.
The road construction dollar, 35
cents OF which was furnished by the
federal government, according to the
report, was divided as follows:
1928 cents for grading; 5.32 cents
for small draining; 26.42 cents for
bridges; 6.16 cents for temporary
surfacing; 4.46 cents for durable;
surfacing; 32.42 cents for pefma-
nent surfacing; 3.58 cents for engi-
neering and supervision; 2.36 cents
for administration.
The total construction cost OF the
SO projects which have been COM
pleted is given by the report as $l0,-
O99, ,6O7, $3,521,175.26 of which was
supplied by the federal government
This expenditure is divided as fol-
lows: bridges, $2,66S,123.83; grad
ing, $1,946, ,680,92; small drainage,
S537,474.71; temporary surfacing,
1922, ,669.73; durable surfacing,
$450,343.54; permanent surfaeing'
/ IS3,274,535.24; engineering and SUI
persion. 1851, ,429.0S; administration
$238,350.
The total mileage that has been
completed is 535,613.4, not includ-
ing the length of the bridge projects,
according to the report.
The cost of a mile of highway with
a temporary surface is shown by this
report to be $1,745.18. For a dur
able surfaced road, of which there
are more than 44 miles in the state
recently completed by the depart
ment, the cost is given as S1O,-
2172o mile.
For a permanent hard-surfaesd
road of concrete, brick or asphalt
with all of the trimmings, the high
way department pays $27,747,47,