Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-02-19
DOUCL.AS-BISBEE HIGHWAY HAS
PROVED USING OF PAVEMENT in
. ROAD BUILDING MEANS ECONOMY

owing to the CochiSe county supe-
rlor court being in session at this time
many people living in Douglas and
Bisbee have had to negotiate the con-
tinental divide west of BiSbee in their
cars since the snow fell and much
comment on the icy slipperiness of the
steep grade has been heard
In this connection John B, Hart.
Douglas member of the CochiSe county
board of supervisors, has some inter-
eSting data. He has a set of figures
showing how much money was ex-
pended during the fiscal year 1926-27
in maintaining the various state high
ways. These figures show that more
than $4,000 was spent on that wind
ing grade over the divide.
The reading with the figures indi-
Gates this sum for the entire distance
between Tombstone and Bisbee, but
Hart points out that very little, if any,
Of that amount was spent anywhere
except on the short unpaved stretch
which runs over the top. The road
over the divide is good piece of high
way, all admit. 1t cannot be paved
because it is slippery even as it is with
plenty of gravel to grind under the
rubber and it is almost never impass-
able although there is day or two
almost every winter when it is dam
gerous.
Paved Road Easily Maintained
These figures go further On the
stretch of highway west of Tombstone,
which is unpaved, approximately $4,000
was spent all for maintenance. On
the stretch east of Douglas like sum
was spent but on the stretch between
Douglas and Bisbee which is paved,
only a little over $500 was necessary.
In other words surfaced highways
must have constant attention and rep
resent a burden to the taxpayers that
for the values obtained is not worth
the stress on the pocket book Hart
compares surfaced highway to
rented house. There is always some
thing being paid out but nothing
comes of it. The highway is kept in
fine condition certainly but the keep
ing must go on and on forever.
On the other hand, the paved road
represents something bought and paid
for which is permanent and costs but
little after the purchase price. The.
Bisbee-D Douglas stretch is having new
shoulders this fiscal year and that
will cost more, possibly as much as
!. $4,000. but. they will stay there for
years
Shoulders Being Constructed
The shoulders are sort of insur-
ance for the paving and crew of
men with scrapers and ploughs IS
working now we'll up toward the Bis
bee end of the paving making nice
wide shoulders which will grow beau
tiful green grass and catch the water
that flows across the concrete when it
rains hard, draining it away so that
it does not eat the filling from under
the paving
After these shoulders are properly
built UP this year there will be almost
nothing to do to the paving except go
along after each heavy rain, there
being perhaps half dozen in year,
and fill in a few places where the
shoulders have melted before the flow.
This was what cost $500 in the fiscal
year 1926-27.
It will probably not be necessary to
grade up the shoulders on this high
way again for four or five years. On
the unpaved roads, however, there Is
a different story. Not only does rain
affect the unpaved roads but traffic
cuts them up They become CORFU
gated simply from heavy traffic as wit
ness the Douglas-Rodeo str C h on
which crew of men works constantly
the year around at a cost of approx
mately $4,000.
Class of Soil Problem
Even with the work of this crew one
seldom sees any sign of improvement
in the road and many have been heard
to comment on its roughness. This
road was well constructed and rains
affect it but little in comparison with
some other highways. The rocky coun-
try through which it winds its way is
another thing which saves it much
for the highway is filled with heavy
material which does not wash out
readily.
TIE Central highway up the valley is
another sort of proposition. Here is
highway which runs through farm
ing belt with rich loam and sandy oil
and while much heavy material was
trllcked in for the highway yet it is
based on ground which sweeps away
in acres before the summer flood
waters. 1t is also a fine piece OF road
but experienced highway engineers re-
late that in the long run it Will cost
heavily in maintenance. :.
Hart has been asked, "Why don't
the highway people abandon all this
maintenance work and throw all the
road funds into one big pot and start
pavingg" The questioner points out
that some people would suffer from
deteriorating roads for few years but
that in few years more the county
and state would be network OF paw
ing and the greatest unmitigated bur-
den of the taxpayer would be at all
end forever.
Is Wholesale Paving Possible?
The supervisor replies that this
would be impossible. He says that
while everyone is in favor of paving,
no one is willing to go to the incon-
venience and expense Of living on a
bad road while the paving program Is
being carried on. The supervisor offers
no solution for this natural attitude
of the public but his reflections sug-
gest that the only way such a whole