San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-25
State Builds 5102 Miles Of
Improved Highways in
Six Years.
MANY NEW BRIDGES
Total Of 100 Dangerous
Railroad Grade Cross
ings Eliminated.

Since the year IOl' tASiC A"'N 49,
constructed in Texas 2.69353 miles of
new highways at total cost Of ST.
6.16l As. There are under con-
struction at present 1S44.16 miles OF
highways. estimated to cost S25,G19,-
69S.O1. This spring contracts will be
let for 619.10 additional miles to cost
S12.211.354.04. When these 619.l0
miles of highways are completed the
work done on the Texas highway sys-
tenn since 1917 will embrace 51O2.19
miles of improved roads at a total
cost of S65, 497 ,213.51.
When one stops TO consider that
New York, with its immense resources
has taken nearly "a years to build ap-
,proximately 1000 miles of highways
the showing made in Texas in the last
four ysSrs has been very good. The
roads built in Texas are not all OF
the cheaper types but include asphalt
and brick roads, as well as gravel and
sand clay. Texas construction also
includes approximately HOO bridges
ranging in length from % to 5000
feet. The state highway department
also secured the elimination of 16l
dangerous railroad grade crossings.
Need Wider Roads.
! ~The traffic has become so enor-
nous now," says the California High
vav Commission in its latest biennial
report, sthat the highway commission
desires to repeat its warning OF four
and two years ago that the state must
proceed to widen and in many places
thicken its main highways. Unless
approximately 1900 miles Of main
state highways are widened and thick
ened within the next five years, the
loss through traffic impact and traffic
congestion will be very great. How
ever, the work cannot be carried on
indefinitely unless funds for this spe-
cial purpose are provided. Given these
funds the loss to the state of its orlgl-
nal investment will be very small. De
MED them, the destruction OF hundreds
of miles can be expected.
ain this regard the highway COM
mission, through its engineering de-
parfnent, has evolved highly sue
cessful and economical plan for widen
ing and thickening highways. Where
the old pavement base is still in fan
condition. it is being widened to 70
feet by the addition of Portland ce-
ment concrete shoulders 2.5 feet wide,
z to s inches thick, and surfaced with
asphaltic concrete % inches to 3
inches in thickness.
THE highway commission has, In
a large number of instances, called for
bids on alternate specifications OF
Portland cement concrete and asphalt
tic concrete. In many instances as
phaltic macadam has been laid. In
other instances the improvement has
consisted simply Of grading and gray
cling roads.
Test Road Materials.
Laboratory experiments Lave been
carried on for several years to deter
mine the resistance of asphaltic road
materials to alkali. These experiments
indicate that where alkali is active
by reason of the presence Of water
asphaltic roads are less susceptible to
alkali damage than is cement con
crete. The Pittsburg tests demonstrat.
ed that the changes in a concrete slat
due to climatic conditions are greater
than heretofore supposed. The Pitts
burg tests also emphasized the fact
known to road builders that impact
lis the chief factor in road destruc
tion."
During the year 1922 the state Of
Massachusetts spent a total Of 50,
100000 for the improvement Of its
highways. A total Of more than 21i
miles was constructed or reconstruct
ed, the mileage being approximately
iehe same as in the year 1921. Of thi!
81 miles were of cement construction
70 miles were of bituminous macadan
with asphalt, 81 miles were of bitumi
nous macadam with tar, 16 miles werr
of bituminous concrete, 2 l." mile!
were of waterbound macadam, nnt
81 miles were Of gravel. 4 small
portion OF the work had been started
81 1921. Massachusetts also report
the remarkably low maintenance cos
of one-half cent per square yard, equa
= $3.50 per mile of sixteen-foot roat
for its large mileage of asphalt ma
cddam pavements.
Plan Roads in Japan.
That the new government in Japal
Is planning q comprehensive roa'
building program, is the statement o
Count Y. Hosono who has been visit
ing America for the purpose Of study
ing our methods of constructing as
phalt streets and roads. Count Ho
sono came TO this country as the OF
ficial representative of the Japanes
government, as did DR.. Hikoshich
Maxi, highway engineer for the gov
eminent of Japan, director Of the Ma
tional Laboratory for Testing Roa
Materials, member of the Imperia
Japanese Road Council and Secretar
of the Japanese Good Roads Associa
ton. Another japanese government
representative who has been in thi
country recently studying America
asphalt road paving was Professo
Takakuwa of Kir.u University at II
kio. who returned to Japan, very Ell
thuslastic over American highway
DIR. Maxi stated while in New Yor
that the japanese government ht
just made its first appropriation ,
S10,000,000 for good roads, the funC
TO cover construction and maintenant
for short period of years. DIR. Nal
spent some time investigating the nj
ture and activities of American goC
roads organizations and gathered col
siderable data to be used in re-orgaI
izing and extending the work Of Il
japanese Good Roads Association
Wyoming Is Example.
"he Department Of Agriculture
Washington points TO the state
Wyoming rs an example of what ms
he accomplished through an energet
and well-directed road building polio
"The past seven ears says a stat