Evening star., 1924-07-08
NEWRECORDS MADE
IN STREET PAVING
Auto Traffic CompeIs Heavy
Construction Programs
All Over Country.
BY j. c. ROFLE.
Special Dispa tch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, July S.-The expand
ing use of the automobile and its
attendant traffic congestion has re-
suited in establishing a record for
concrete street and highway produc-
ton in the last six months. More than
4S,0O0,0O0 square yards of concrete
pavement was placed under contract
between January 1 and July l, ac-
cording to the Portland Cement Asso-
citation. That is equivalent to 4,SOO
miles of eighteen-foot pavement The
largest previous amount contracted
for for similar period was in 1922,
when 54,000,000 square yards were
awarded.
The most notable gains were ac-
counted for by city streets, as is nat
ural, since it is in the cities that
trafhc congestion is greatest Four
teen million square yards, equivalent
10 soo miles of thirty-foot-widep pave
ments, were contracted for up to
July l. This is more than was placed
IN any entire year up to 1922, and
1,ooo,0oo square yards more than was
awarded in the first half of 1928. the
best previous year.
Immense Paving Programs.
About one-fourth of the concrete
street pavement arranged for this
year is IN sixty-eight cities of 100, 900
population or over. New York. Chi
Los Angeles. Seattle Atlanta, In,
dlanapolis, Cincinnati, Kansas City
ana other large centers now are en-
saged on pretentious paving pro-
grams
On January 1 this year about $500
thlrty feet in width, were under traf-
ne ana contractors carried over from
1873 400 miles which had been con-
tracted for but not laid When all
the contracts now signed have been
completed there will be about !. 000
miles OF concrete city streets in this
country.
There were 25.627 miles of concrete
highways averaging eighteen feet
woe IN use at the beginning of this
year and 900 miles which when
completed, will make the grand total
~ concrete highways well above
$1,000 miles.
Cement Prices Stable.
The activity which will prevail in
ROAD construction during the re-
malnder of the year can only be es-
tlmated. but there has been some
Iaiiing OF in building construction.
ana this, with the release of labor
from some other industries and its
absorption by highway construction.
Is having a tendency toward lower
costs Public Improvement bonds
now are bringing better returns and
being more readily absorbed by in
Eestors. and altogether the prospect
is bright for continued activity in
road work
cement prices have been fairly
stable, and there is evidence of a
tendency to remain so. Since all
standard government specification.
competition and demand and supply
are the prime factors in fixing prices
in any individual locality. Cement
MUS must dispose of their output
steadily in order to operate success
fully.
High Marks in August
August usually marks the high
mark of production in the cement in
dustry and it is probable that more
than 14.500,000 barrels will be pro-
duced next month, with the annual
outturn for the year closely approach
ing, if not exceeding, the 1887, 900
barrels made in 1928. which was
valued at s207 100000
The continuation of highway and
bridge construction. with attendant
consumption of cement. is indicated
by estimates concerning the bridge
over the Delaware river at Philadel-
phIa, which will be completed in
1925. When engineers first drew
plans for the bridge they figured the
structure would take care of inter-
state vehicular traffic for many years
to come.
recent survey of automobile traf-
fee in that section, however has
shown that the bridge probably will
not be a BILE to accommodate the in
creasing traffic beyond 1928. Another
bridge or a tube under the Delaware
river alreddE beinQ discussed