Evening star., 1943-06-07
!
Big Gain Seen.
In ; and 4Lane
Virginia Roads
81 =
20-Yeor PIonningIa.ssaa,,
Program Hos Fe96sasse9
Super-Highwoys '''sa vi
BY the Associa tod Press.

RICHMOND, June 7.-vfrginia
highway officials, looking into the
future, see a big increase in high
ways of multiple lanes. but compare
lively little of the super roads in
highway construction in the State
Virginia's 20-year planning pro-
gram contemplates maximum Of
1500 miles of four lane highways,
1,700 miles of three-lane routes, and
two-lane construction for the re.
naming mileage of the primary
system, according to Burton Marye,
jr, planning engineer. -
That's about as far as We, can
see," he explained. "Our forecast
is based on past normal trends pro-
jected into the future-and about
20 years is as far ahead as is feasihle
to make any general plaza"
OF the super highways, Mr. Marye
said officials believe only relatively
small mileage would be necessary
in Virginia.
Improved Surfacing.
Future designing will call for I'M
proved types of surfacing to care
for heavy traffic, Increased sight
distances and elimination of sharp
curves and heavy grades where
economical and practical.
Mr.. Marye said relatively large
mileage of heavily Travelled roads
which now have a low type of sur
facing will have to be rebuilt to
provide surface Of adeouate
strength to care for heavy CONNER.
cial vehicles.
Grades as slight as economically
possible to build will be sought, Mr..
Marye said, to relieve highway con-
gestlon. Heavily loaded commercial
vehicles negotiating heavy grades,
ne pointed out, slow up traffic gen
erally. A per cent grade is ex-.
tremely difficult for heavily loaded
vehlcles, a S per cent grade can
be negotiated by such vehicles only
AT reduced speeds, and a grade of
per cent Or less is necessary to
MAINTAIN a reasonably normal speed,
To Increase Lanes.
Grades now prevalent on the more
important routes offer no difficulty
10 passenger cars, which can neeoti-
ate them with no appreciable slack
enlng OF speed or increase in easo.
line consumption.
Twelve feet is the maximum width
being considered for one lane, Manv
OF the present three-lane roads will
be increased to four lane routes,
some OF the two-lane to three. and
IN some cases two-lane road NAV
be jumped to four lanes, Mr., Marve
said
OF the $500 miles of rural primary
highways in Virginia now, 274 miles
provide four lanes of travel, 519 three
lanes, and the remainder two lanes
oI these two-lane highways, $40
miles are % feet wide, 1880 miles
20 feet wide, 3,o3l miles 1a feet wide
ana 1882 miles 16 feet wide or
narrower.
Larger rights s-of-way are called for
IN the future. These widths-l10 for
tWo-lane, 130 for three-lane and
100 for four-lane-enable the high
way engineers to obtain better drain
age wider shoulders and greater
sight distances.
$4,000, 900 Plan.
The highway department has
plans now for about $4,000 900 in
construction work after the war
Ihe department is planning. among
other projects, the construction Of
distribution roads around cities to
relleve congestion in the cities and
to expedite through travel.
The Public Roads Administra tion
Will furnish money on a $3.50 basis
Tor the study of these projects and
has so far approved for study distri-
button roads at Roanoke-Salen.
richmond Petersburg. Martins
vile, Lynchburg. Danville. Suffolk.
Covlngton, Winchester, Staunton.
Harrisonburg and Waynesboro.
I 1t is planned to have these road,
OF modern design with slight grades
and interchanges, or cloverleaf ar
rangements, at all important con-
nections. =.
The highway department has
been occupied largely with the
building of access roads during the
last 10 months, but officials said this
work may be largely completed in
the next few months. After the
war, the department may resort to
operation of two or three shifts to
speed the work Of preparing plans.