Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-12-20
GOOD ROADS in
WEST VIRGINIA
The Commission Gives More Inform
alton on What the People Should
Know Road Building A Big Job.

and successfully when weather con-
5itions are favorable. Through the
summer and fall every road should
be carefully examined, and placed in
condition 80 far as possible, to with
stand the rigors of winter. Exposed
as they are, to every change in tenn
perature, to rain, snow, ice, and slush'
and resting, as they do, upon base
which always contains more or less
moisture, road surfaces are subject
ed, in this climate, to a tremendous
strain in addition to the continuous
pounding of traffic. 1t is estimated
by army engineers that the ravages
Of nature cause more road deterior-
alton then even the heaviest and most
constant use.
At all times, good drainage stands
first in the maintenance problem, and
IN winter this applies with especial
force. If water be allowed to stand
along the road part Of it will always
soak into the sub-base, after which
The expansion and contraction of
freezing and thawing are disastrous
10 the surface. 1t is obvious that
bitches and culverts should be the
first care of The maintenance forces
in the winter time.
Soft Surface Maintenance
Maintenance methods vary widely
with the difference types of surface.
TO keep in good condition road con-
struction of earth, top soil, sand clay
or gravel, the drag comes next after
provision for good drainage. This
simple device is both cheap and eff
fective. 1t produces or preserves a
crown in the road, smooths out ire
gularities, hastens the drying out of
road after rain by spreading out
the puddles of water, and, if used
when the surface is in a somewhat
plastic condition, partially seals thu
pores and protects the surface from
water penetration.
A very dry or very wet road
should not be dragged. If very dry,
the drag will increase the quantity
Of dust, and break the surface seal;
if very wet, it will increase the ir-
regularities. The best time to drag
IL inst after the road has lost its
sickness"
In the filling ruts or depressions on
this type of road, maintenance men
should use the same kind of mater
ial as that of which the road is built.
Otherwise an uneven surface will be
produced 1t is true that rock will
fill a mudholc effectively, but the
next season tire will be two mud
holes one on each side of the rock
fill.
If road of this type contains too
great percent of clay, it will form
mud too easily; if it contains too
much sand, it will fall apart. Either
of these conditions may be remedied
by adding enough sand or clay to
overcome the defect.
On sidehill roads, of which we have
many in West Virginia, the snow
should be dragged out or otherwise
removed from the inside bitches to
prevent the melting snow from run
ming down the wheel tracks or des-
troy the crown by washing.
Most of the work on all soft sur
face roads should be done in the
spring, while the soil is plastic and
easily worked.
AS the season of heaviest traffic
begins in July, maintenance work
on all roads should be completed SO
far as possible before that Time.
Macadam Road Maintenance
On a macadam road, dust is a dam
ger sign. It indicates that the bin
der has started to disintegrate, and
If this is allowed to go unchecked,
the. surface will "ravel.". A bitum-
nous surace treatment will correct
the dusty condition and prevent fur
Their damage.
The most common foundation de-
fects in macadam reeds are ruts, de-
eressions, and frost boils. Ruts are
a.ncod nv soft spOts in the subgrade
aepressions are usually due to the
settling of fills, and frost boils are
caused by the FREEZING and heaving
Of wet spots in the foundation.
Shallow ruts and de~ressions are
filled with patches of various kinds
One of crushed stone with a good
bituminous binder has been found to