Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1923-10-26
GOOD
HIGHWAYS
Large Problem Faced Is
Durability of Highwavo

Va highways
In my travels over the United ststa.
l nave been most fayorably Imnrassad
Dy the great strides In biphwsv H..
provements made in many states
writes L. G. Fairbank in an svcbanna
one gratifying feature Is the deter.
mlnation Of national, state and connie
authorltles to have real highways ma,
merely makeshifts. They have proited
Dy experience and realize that TO meet
the transportation conditions the biob.
ways must be constructed accordingly
In the old days Of transportation n,
steam roads we had the narrow ganoa
lines with small engines and cars
Heavier loads meant economy IN
transportation and naturally heavier
ioads meant heavier cars and locon,o-
uves. To meet this situation bo7r-
ever, improvements had to be made
IN roadbeds and different type Of
steel rails had to be provided This
situation exists today in our trans
portation over the state and national
highways. We must have different
program Of road construction and that
Is just what is going on virtually
everywhere.
Often it is thought that heavy We
hicies, carrying heavy loads, are re-
sponsible for the deplorable condition
OF some highways. We have seen pho
Geographic and other proof Of the
wrecking Of roads. We have seen the
calamitous condition Of pavements
smashed by pressure OF some kind.
What is the answer!
In the fall we find some roads as
models Of durability. In the spring
they are wrecks. Meanwhile heavy
trucks had been driven over them.
Could there be specifically palmer
case of cause and effect? It was OBJ
vious that to save the roads the trucks
and the loads must be made lighter.
On some stretches Of the road where
he collapse Of the pavements is most
iiscouraging, nothing goes wrong.
There the trucks do not crush the con-
'rete or buckle the brick pavements.
The loads are precisely the same that
Ire hauled over other stretches Of the
Dad. The same wheels of the same
ehicles roll over sections that stand
p under the test that roll over the
trips that gave way. What, then, Is
Is it the weight of the loads or is 1t
ne manner in which the road was
instructed? Is 1t the way the build
rs failed to adapt their work to the
onditions they had to deal WITH Is
that soil and drainage, materials
nd construction methods did not get
roper attention? {
When one road along a sandy ridge, I
18th good, natural drainage comes
trough a hard winter scarcely the
orse for wear and another road In t
e same district and the same climate,
trying the same traffic, with the /
me truck loads, but with spots in S
hich the subsoil is wet and there is
natural drainage, is found In state c
collapse after the frost comes out S
the ground, what Is the logical con- I
lsion? Is 1t lighter loads or closer +
tention to drainage and other i'm {
rtant features entering into the con- b
'uction of our highways? o
Isn't the remedy to be sought In the
IRE scientific adjustments Of the q
,hways TO the natural changes in the q
ection of larger vehicle units and c.
re economical transportation on the g
bic roads? The question is vital TO OF
solution of the whole problem Of sc
lntry highways. their construction
! maintenance. 1t Is of immense CT
1ortance to all producers and con n
ners. II is a basic transportation 50
blem for Americas millions OF PEG oil
who want TO do the sensible thing VI
the right thing by all interested. at
he trend Is strongly along this line
that is why highway construction co
1923 Is far in advance Of such work oy
q in wears gone by. IN