Evening star., 1928-09-16
RUSH PAVING WORK
FOR INAUGURATION
District Paving 20 Miles of
New Streets and Resur-
facing II Miles.
Like the conscientious housewife who

Like the conscientious housewife who
ecrupulously arranges her home in
faultless order in preparation for a
critical guest the highway department
is asSiduously engaged in putting Wash
1ngton'S streets in first-claSS condition
for the thousands of visitors expected
to come here next March for the preSl-
dental inaugural
The highway department is now in
the midst of its Fall improvement pro-
gram-the most extensive project 1t
has ever undertaken at one time.
Streets are torn up in all sections,
trees are being leveled to make way
for wider traffic arteries. steam shovels
ere cutting through hills in the out
lying sections to bring new streets
to the proper grade, and new concrete
curbs and cutters are being poured in
unprecedented numbers.
Detour signs are as numerous as
billboardS used to be. In fact, one
facetious writer recently suggested that
the streets of Washington look as
though they were laid out by Gen.
Detour instead of L'Enfant.
Preparing for Inaugural.
Frankly, highway officials admit that
the unusual activity at this time of the
year is due chiefly to the coming presi-
Dental inaugural. Regardless OF
whether the ouadrennial ceremonies are
to be pompous or marked by Coolidge
simplicity more strangers are coming
to Washington in automobiles than ever
before. the officials believe, and it IS
their intention to give them the COM
fort of Smooth-Surfaced thorOughfareS.
The highway department has funds
sufficient for approximately 20 miles
of new surfaces and nearly II miles OF
resurfacing of old streets. The pro-
gram now in progress to be completed
by December l provides for more than
IL miles of new concrete streets and
1917 miles of reSurfacing of old streets,
miles of which are in the downtown
section. In other words, about % miles
of new surfaces are to be laid before
the advent of freezing weather, when
street improvement work must cease.
In addition, the highway schedule
calls for approximately six miles of new
concrete curbS and cutters and six and
one-half miles of new surfaces in vari-
Gus alleys. The curbS and cutters will
be constructed chiefly along the macad-
am roadWayS which are considered
main traffic arteries to the outlying
sections and the national highways
that enter Washington.
The principal projects to be COM
pleted this Fall are: Sixteenth street,
from Scott Circle to U street: Highway
Bridge. Massachusetts, avenue, from
California street to Wisconsin avenue;
Pennsylvania avenue southeast, from
the bridge across the AnaccStia river
to Thirtieth street; South Dakota ave-
nue. northeast, from Rhode Island ave-
hue to Bladensburg road: Georgia ave
nue., from Fern street to the District
line. and the east side Of Wisconsin
avenue from River road to the DISTRICT
line Improvement of the west SIDE
of the last named is included in the
Spring program.
Aside from these projects, the high
way department is rushing to compile
ton the street widening program IN
the downtown section. Work on H
street from Seventeenth street to PENN
sylvania avenue. and Connecticut ave-
nue. from Florida avenue to Columbia
road has been finished, and progress
now is being made on the widening OF
Connecticut avenue from M street 10
Dupont Circle, Seventeenth street from
H to K streets, and Tenth street from !
r to New York avenue.
Largest Budget in History.
Although engineers of the highway !
are confident that Wash. !
ington's streets are now in better condi-
ton than ever before due to the con-
scientious efforts made this year to re-
pair broken places as soon as the break
occurred, the highway department has
been fortunate in getting from Con-
gress the largest budget in its history
for improvements Altogether, the i'm
provement fund amounts to $2,500,O0O,
excluding $875.000 for maintenance.
This represents an increase CT more
than $500,000 over the preceding fiscal
year.
About $780, 900 of the improvement
budget was raised through the gasoline
tax, and Congress appropriated the re-
manning sum for resurfacing and main
tenance All new paving, curbs and
cutters and street widening work is paid
out of the gasoline tax revenues, but
an effort probably will be made at the
forthcoming session of Congress to have
this system changed so that the gaso-
line tax money can be used exclusively
for maintenance New work would be
paid for out of the general appropria-
tions.
Concrete is used on all new paving
projects, while asphalt Is the type of
surface applied on old streets that are
resurfaced. A new type OF aSphaltic
IOI SuD-
urban macadam roads.
AsphaItic Concrete Used.
After many experiments, according
to Capt. H. C. Whitehurst, assistant
Engineer Commissioner in charge of the
highway department, this type of con-
struction has been found best suited in
Washington A new concrete street
should last for at least Is years before
cracking or deteriorating, he said. and
when this happens an asphalt blanket
can be applied which will prolong its
life for another 25 years.
Capt. Whitehurst and his assistants
are now making comprehensive survey
of the history of every improved street
In the District for the purpose OF de-
termining its present condition and
when replacement will be necessary.
The record of this study will show the
age, character and cost of maintenance
of the 435 miles of surfaced highways.
The survey will be completed before
Congress convenes in December. A re-
port on the result will be turned over
to the appropriation committees CT he
Senate and House for consideration In
connection with the highway improve
ment program for the next fiscal year.