The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-20
THE HIGHWAY TO LEEDS

The manner in which the state highway
commission negleets the maintenance OF
state roads is well exemplified By the con-
slant condition of the norton of the Bank
head highway between Birmingham and
Leeds. The citizens Of Leeds are very prop
erly exercised over this neglect, and the BUSH
ness men of Birmingham have reason to be
equally vehement in their protest, for the
condition of the main roads leading into this
city is a direct barometer of trade between
Birmingham and outlying communities. The
same is trhe of the hard-surfaced sections of
highways leading to Warrior and other out
lying points on state roads.
1t is true that the highway commission re-
Gently authorized the commissioner of main
tenance to put this road in condition but it
is significant that the commission did not
order the road kept in condition. That is
the difference between maintenance and re-
pair. Maintenance means keeping a highway
always in good condition. Repair means that
it is periodically mended and then permitted
promptly to fall into disrepair, in which con-
ditien it usually remains until an outraged
populace again demands relief. 1t is a fact
that can scarcely be successfully disputed,
even by the commissions astute engineering
talent. that maintenance of the state high
ways in the strictest sense of the word does
not exist.
There are two reasons for this. One rea-
son is that there is not and never has been
any. adequate provision, machinery or organi-
zation for efficient maintenance of the state
highways. There can be no more serious
charge brought against a highway commits
sion or its engineers than failure to maintain
highways. that is. failure to protect the enor-
nous public investment in roads. That
charge can be brought against the present
highway regime in Alabama.
The other reason for, lack of maintenance
is more fundamental. 1t rests on the fact
that so many public highways are built of
materials, cheap in the first cost. but ire
mendously expensive when considered in
terms, of proper upkeep. 1t is this type of
highways to which the commission has
seemed particularly committed. The high
way between Birmingham and Leeds, one of
the most heavily travelled highways in Ala
bama, is built of that impermanent class of
surfacing which includes sand-clay, clay
gravel, ebert and macadam. Unless these
materials are found right on the ground
they are far too expensive to use on a main
Travelled road, because their proper upkeep
soon totals an expense greater than the first
cost of paved road.
The commission has said that it cannot af-
ford to build paved roads. The truth is, that
IL cannot aItord not TO. build them where
there is heavy traffic, or, where heavy traffic
is inevitable What the board cannot afford
is such surfaces as that applied to the Leeds
section of the Bankhead highway, one of the
main thoroughfares of Alabama 1t is a fact
that public intelligence has far outstripped
the commissions practical demonstrations
of intelligence. The people of Leeds want
and deserve a paved highway. They go fur
Their than that and demand a concrete high
way. From the standpoint of economy alone.
can the engineers advise the commission
that the present type of, surfacng on that
highway is the cheapest?