Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-25
CAPT. WH|TEHURST
TALKS ON STREETS
Board of Trade Body Seeks
to Prevent Repeated Pave
ment "BreakS."

A resolution seeking to reduce the
repeated tearing up OF washington
streets by obtaining coordination be-
tween the various agencies which gel
authority to tear them up was adopted
by the streets and avenues committee
of the Washington Board of Trade at
| tts first Fall meeting in the University
Club yesterday afternoon.
The resolution was adopted following
An address by Capt H. G. WhitehurSt
Assistant Engineer Commissioner, in
charge of streets and highways. in
which he declared that the sequence OF
the program for street repairs by his
department during the present year had
been disrupted a dozen times by I'M
derground work" One reason for this
Capt. Whitehurst declared, is that "per-
n1itS for cuts are too easy to get" while
another is the lack of cooperation be-
tween the various other agencies doing
the underground work and his depart
ment:
In the latter connection Capt. White
hurst cited instances where streets had
be- torn up for the installation of a
water main or sewer within day or SC
after they had been opened for traffic
after undergoing extensive surface re-
;, pairs.
y "On one resurfaced street there were
seven cuts made within week after
the street had been opened to traffic, " he
said, adding: 1--WE have got to do some
thing with the situation
Capt. WhitehurSt named the two
street car companies, two gas companies,
the electric light company, Sewer De-
partment, two telephone companies and
the Water Department as among the
agencies that have a right to obtain
authority to dig into streets for their
specific purposes.
There should be one responsible per-
son to coordinate work and dictate
sequence" he said.
At Work on Budget.
Capt Whitehurst stated his depart
ment has started on the work o. sub
uniting items to the Bureau of the Bud
get for which to request appropriations
for streets and highways in 1880, and
that the program compares favorably
with that for 1929. Due to various in
terruptionS in the program for this year,
much Of the work which would have
been finished by December will extend
over until next Spring, he said.
In connection with the general sub
ject of street Surfacing and reSurfacing
/ Capt. Whitehurst declared that the time
will come when cities will zone their
streets for use up to certain tonnage,
and expressed the belief that no city
will in the near future be able to stand,
economically, the paving Of all streets
to withstand maximum loads.
The maximum weight to be run over
q given space of street at one time will
soon be reached and taken care of by
six-wheel trucks, which will distribute
the weight, he predicted, but added that
the bridges for carrying the heavy loads
offer a real problem"
Capt. Whitehurst spoke of various
needs Of his department and efforts to
improve it. Within the past year, he
said, the department has functioned for
the first time under an inspection de-
partment, operating under the direction
OF chief inspector. The latter, he
said, has held a school for inspectors to
show them how and why certain specifi-
cations have been changed, etc. The
department also has established cost
department, he pointed out, to keep an
accurate cost of various items.
A survey of the condition of all paved
streets in Washington, on which q re-
port will be ready about December /,
also was mentioned as another impor-
tant development.
Pavements Compare FavOrabIy.
WaS4A1lRDOIlS PdNeIueuCS 90 CuLupdIe
most favorably with any I have seen
anywhere in the country, and better
than in many Cities Capt. Whitehurst
said.
In line with the general suggestion
of Capt Whitehurst, the committee
adopted resolution seeking the desig-
nation Of certain streets for certain
kinds of traffic, and adopted another
resolution urging the appropriation of
more funds by Congress for experimental
work by the highways department. In
this connection Capt. Whitehurst had
said that various grades of asphalt are