The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1955-01-06
Marietta, Ohio
December 80, 1854

The Caldwell Journal
Caldwell, Ohio
Attention: The Editor
Gentlemen:
We have read with interest
your recent editorial entitled
State Highway Department" It
was also reprinted in The Mari
eta Daily Times.
We appreciate your opening
statement Noble county has a
darn good state highway depart
ment." We concur and also feel
that this theme should be broad
ened to read Ohio has a darn
good state highway department" !"
It is department policy and our
constant endeavor to have the
same standard of maintenance,
particularly on ice and snow re-
moval, in all counties. This is
factor that enters into the setting
up of the type and number of
pieces of equipment, amount of
materials and the number of
employees for each county.
In order to have comparable
maintenance, on a statewide
basis, top level planners have
put out Maintenance Priority
Maps, copy of which you will
find enclosed herewith. The
priority given certain roads is
controversial even within the
department. but even so it is
good guide from which to oper-
ate. These maps are revised from
time to time as conditions and
traffic patterns dictate.
Perhaps it would be enlighten-
ing to have a statistical compar-
ison of Noble and Washington
counties state highways and
their problems.
Noble has 208.13 miles Of road
to maintain using an average of
AZ employees or 4.96 miles per
man; whereas Washington
county has 254.73 miles with 48
employees, making 5.31 miles
per man. The difference in miles
per man is inconsequential per-
haps, but it does prove that
Washington county's help is
spread little thinner, so to
speak. Geographic location of
county garages, mileage of roads
by types, slight climatic differ
ences and terrain are also fac
tors, but of an empirical nature.
Now let us look at our prior
ity map and make a comparison
priority-wise. Noble county has
no first priority milage; whereas
Washington county has 44.35
miles, In effect, second priority
roads in Noble become first
priority for their own county
operations. Noble county has
2l.9l miles Of second priority,
all on u. S. 81; whereas Wash
lngton county has 51.67 miles of
second priority road, with 21.17I
miles Of it being on u. S. 81. In
other words, Washington county
must concentrate on the care Of
44.35 miles of first priority be
fore they can make appreciable
effort in matching Mobiles opera
tions and then only by placing
the 2l17 miles of u. S. 81 above
the remaining $3.50 miles of
their own second priority. This
will explain, in part, a notice
able difference between Noble
U. S. 81 and Washington u. S. 81
during the first few hours of
any one storm, at least.
A complete review of the re-
cords kept on the storm period
of December 9-1lth is also of
interest Snow started to fall
in Noble county about 500 pm.
December 9th and in the Mari
eta area about ZOO D. m. In
the weather and road condition
report received from the coun-
ties about 500 a. m. December
10th, Noble reported that they
/ inch of snow with 10 crews
working since 700 p. m. Decem-
Der 9th; whereas Washington
had / to 2 inches of snow with
. crews working, one since 800
p. m. December 9th, since mid
night and 2 since 200 a. m. Dec
ember 10th. The report from the
same counties at 600 a. m. Dec
ember 18th showed no crews
working, with Noble reporting
all county primary roads in good
condition and secondaries icy in
spots, out cindered. Washington
reported primaries with isolated
icy spots, secondaries with scat
tered icy spots, but cindered and
salted.
However, there is one state
ment in your editorial that we
believe in all fairness should be
temporized and that is that the
States secondary roads in
Noble county are always in far
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