The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-27
PAVING'S GOOD
 SERVICE GIVES
 NONTnDENE ENNE UUIVUNEIE EDUE
North Alabama City We'll Pleased With Record
 Of Projects

HUNlSNlLLE, Aid' ., NoF' -1' Especial. )-There are concrete streets in Huntsville laid eighteen years ago that have not had a dollars worth of repair work done on them, and there is new highway leading from Hunts vile through West Huntsville to Mer- rimack that was laid because of the ex- cellent service that the concrete streets of the city have given.
 The first concrete street was East and West Holmes, extending from the eastern limits of the city to the west ern limits, approximately one and one half miles, when the paving idea was new here. This street averages 50 feet in width and it is still one of the fla vorite speedways of the city. It was laid by the Bloom Block company of Chicago
 The old pavement is still in fair con- dition, showing little signs of wear after the cracks that were caused by laying it on newly tamped sewer trenches were smoothed over early this year.
 City officials who selected this kind of paving in 1907 declared that they were making an experiment but the extent of their investment in concrete paving at that time showed that they were cOHNlllCeu tudI IL Was all CApSl- iment, but certainty.
 Church street, extending half a mile north from West Holmes is also paved with concrete, and although it is within a few months of West Holmes in age it is in almost perfect condition. The old style of concrete paving had the Belgian block idea in mind and is marked off like Belgian blocks.
 FayOrite of Motorists
 The Huntsville Merrimack concrete road is one of the best of the new high ways built in this section this year and is a favorite with automobile drivers. There are several big construction con- tracts on highways to be let in Hunts vile and Madison county during the winter.
 The concrete road to Merrimack was completed and opened to traffic on No vember 10, 1924, being the first per manent road in the county. Good roads addresses were held in the Bradley school. Dr. Grote $. w. Flemming, re- tiring chairman of the highway commis- sion, Mir. Pratt and others spoke at meeting of q large number of good roads boosters and enthusiasts.
 Dr. Grote, who presided at the meet ing, made fine talk about the new
  ing investment. He said "he hoped, now that this, the first of Madison county's concrete roads was finished and opened up, that the same should be a source of pride to all Madison coun- tians and inspire the building of many other similar roads and keep on until we have such roads all through the county"
 Mir. $. W. Flemming, the retiring chair man of the commission recited the his- tory of the endeayOrs of the people of Madison county to secure this road, enumerating the many obstacles which had to be overcome in order to build it, and explaining the application of the wheeled tax and gasoline tax and pub lie spirited contributions of the citizens themselves. Special reference was made to the large contribution by Joe Brad ley of the Merrimack mills, a concrete enthusiast, who donated the entire cost of one-half mile provided same be built of concrete.
 Contract For Newells
 The funds for the construction being assured, the contract was advertised and on June 10 the Newell Contracting company, of Birmingham, was awarded the contract. The John NJ. Harbert Engineering company, in charge of the paving department of the Newell Con tracting company, constructed the road with o. A. Bowers as superintendent at a total cost of S59 94200.
 Everybody is delighted with the fine. well-built, smooth and dustless concrete paved road and are speaking of it to others in high praise. It is boon to that part of the county and will save large amounts of money to those who travel over it.
 The road is a standard one course plain concrete pavement, eighteen feet wide, nine inches thick on the outer edges and six inches in the center. The highway has a width of IS feet. The mix for the concrete laid in this project consisted of one parts cement, two parts of sand and three parts of gravel. The road was laid under the supervis- ion of Howard Jones, county engineer.