The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-11-22
Chief Engineer Of Highway De-
partment Would Free Coun.
ties Of Main System Aid
PAVING NEED IS LIMITED
Would Not Reduce Maintenance,
Says Expert; Gives $3.50 a
Mile on Mandan Road

the state highway department.. H. C.
Frahm, chief engineer Of the depart
ment, said today in q discussion Of
construction policy.
The county commissioner has his
district to serve, a job sufficient in
itself, as the amount spent on county
and township. roads - the strictly
farm-to-market roadS-is more than
twice that spent on the state high
ways" Mr.. Frahm said.
The county should be relieved
from contributing to the construction
Of state highways. Wherever you
find an inferior condition on a Sec
ton Of main state highway 1t can be
readily traced back to the reaso
therefor; too many fingers on the
purse strings. The money has not al
ways been allocated in accordance
with the traffic needs. A piecemeal
policy, our critics call 1t.
The desirability of state authority
over state roads was recognized by
the trainers Of the federal aid act,
when they stated therein that funds
+ shall be under the direct control Of
the State Highway department. The
authority and responsibility should be
placed In one board. The state high
way department should not find 1t
necessary to solicit contributions or
to accept loans"
u. s. Aid All For Construction
Mr.. Frahm called attention to the
81, 100000 federal aid provided North
Dakota for many years and approx
mately 100000 federal aid allowed
the state after 1890.
This requires" Mr.. Frahm said,
las q condition for its use, q like ap-
preparation from the state. It is
strictly q construction fund and not
to be used for maintenance end, II
unused, finally reverts to other states"
The policy Of the highway depart
ment, MI. Frahyn said, covers $500
miles Of highway to be graded. 400
miles to be graveled, 200 miles to be
surfaced with oil-treated gravel, IL
miles to be paved at once. and ex-
tended west as increased traffic war
rants. The latter two projects ARE
more important than the first" the
highway engineer declared.
Paving west Of Fargo Is urgent, &C.
cording to the engineer. Oil-mix sur
facing west to Jamestown Is only
slightly less important, he added.
Other places requiring oil mix ex-
tend for short distances in certain d.
rections from each Of the largest
cities" Mr.. Frahm said.
May Have to Treat Old Surfaces
1T will require at least three years
to build these surfaces, which are to
be better than gravel, as considerable
regarding 1t first required. This pro-
gram Is not too ambitious and will
need revision upward from time to
time. Within q short time, 1t may be
found necessary to surface-treat our
gravel when the traffic averages 400
per day, instead Of $50 as now set, or
to pave when the traffic averages
800.
Traffic is not constant throughout
the year. During August the traffic
is about two-thirds greater than the
average, and during the time the
snow plows are operating 1t Is about
Is per cent Of the average, or Is per
cent OF the August count. An auto
matte traffic counter installed near
Sterling and operating night and day
the year around furnishes us with the
relative densities.
when we plan to gravel q road to
take care Of an average of 40 We
hicles per day it means that during
the August peak load, 1t will be car
rying 800 vehicles per day, with the
attendant dust. traffic corrugations,
loose gravel, and, in the spring wet
periods, of an occasional closing Of
the road to at least the heavy We
hicles. It must be subject to syste-
matte and continuous blading and
dragging II q reasonably smooth sur
face Is to be retained. particularly
after 400 vehicles per day are ex-
ceeded."
Necessity, Not Luxury, Is Policy
Any policy, Mr.. Frahm said. must
recognize the fact that highway ex-
penditure to be justified must be
earned by the road in the form OF
cheaper transportation.
There must be enough traffic." he
continued, otherwise it will be q
luxury. We have about four months
when the temperature makes hard
surfaces Of all our roads, and our wet
weather is not as frequent or pro-
longed as in other states.
Furthermore, We are not to be
compared with in population, wealth
or traffic. with Minnesota n Iowa.
rather to South Dakota and Montana.
Minnesota has brought paving to our
border at Moorhead. however, as their
traffic count east Of that point in
1890 was 4,205 vehicles per day.
"Of course the highway department
would be delighted II 1t we're provided
with sufficient funds 50 as to advance
the quality Of both our maintenance
and construction, a well as to press
the later along at greater speed. With
more federal money on hand than we
can match, some action should be
taken. We receive no interest on the
United States money which Is lying in
waiting"
Discussing maintenance costs, MI.
Frahm said that the argument that
paving generally will reduce the
maintenance costs and be a saving
financially win not hold good in
North Dakota. .
Analyzes Paving Proposal
Paving requires maintenance" he
said. There Is the joint filling, road
side maintenance structures, snow re-
moval. ETC.. on which other states
having considerable paving are
70