PERMANENT HIGHWAYS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1668, 30 January 1917, Page 4

PERMANENT HIGHWAYS.

A TRAVELLER’S IMPRESSION,

CONCRETE BEST OF ALL.

Mr T. H. Wilson writes as follows in the Rodney and Otamata

Times “While in Canada and the United States of America, among other matters I spent a good deal of time investigating ‘ Permanent Highways,’ and the following notes may he of interest to your readers: “Plain oiled roads, “Macadam, “Tarred Macadam.

“Concrete, topped with Asphaltic Cement (from -iin. to liins. ia thickness, mostly prepared from the products of California crude asphaltic petroleum) ; and the plain all-concrete road, are all to be found; yes, and even clay. And I have no hesitation in staling that there is no type of road that can compare with the plain concrete or the asphalt covered concrete roads, “In California, where petroleum is very cheap, must of the concrete roads arc covered with asphaltic cement. By use of this asphaltic (he Eastern States you will (Iml hundreds of miles of all-concrete road.

“There are over 5)00 miles of concrete roads in California, much of which is plain concrete , finish, and the balance asphalt covered. “The people of this State have shown their appreciation of good roads by voting on November last sufficient money to build another 700 miles of similar roads, which they consider the most permanent construction, and therefore the most economical to build. “In and around Vancouver and Victoria, 8.C., you will find many miles of plain concrete roads, passing through the States of M ashinglon, Oregon; and thence on through Oregon; and thence on through the Eastern States you will find hundreds of miles of all-concrete road. “There have been failures in the early stages, owing to the want of knowledge and faulty construction; but it is now fully conceded that the concrete road is well beyond the experimental stage, and 1 believe there are only two States in the 1 nion that have not more or less concrete

highways. “Woodward Avenue Hoad, the oldest concrete road in Wayne County, is now in its eighth year of service. It has carried an estimated total traffic of over 7,000,000 vehicles of all kinds, from motor cars to heavy traction engines, and (he wear on its surface lias been so slight that it is difficult to measure it. The usual estimate places this at from i to i inch; at this rate it would take 40 years to wear one inch off the road. 4‘There are KiO miles of concrete highways in Wayne County, (it) miles of which I travelled over. Some of it has been put down since 10.11, and no sign of wear could bo discovered. The surface was as perfect as the day it was put down, and there was no evidence of subsidence of any section, although there was an expansion joint at every 25 to 30 feet.

“.Mr E. X. Jlincs, Chairman of tin* Wayne County Highway Commission, staled in one of his annual reports that ‘Hie county could afford heller to build concrete roads he-

cause, as compared with accepting any kind of macadam road as a gift if fhey had to pay the upkeep, they would have money in the hank at the end of eight years.'

“The highway engineers of America state that ‘over a period of years, concrete is the cheapest good road that can he bought, figuring cost as an annual proposition, which is the correct way to figure it, rather than to figure from the standpoint of first cost. “The fact that a concrete road is free from excessive yearly maintenance charges, is extremely durable, is usable throughout the entire year by all types of vehicles, irrespective of weather conditions, warrants construction regardless of first cost.’ “New Zealand has equal facilities and materials for doing the same as America on a smaller scale, and there is no reason why our highways should not he built of permanent material. No . especial foundation is required except to have the clay well .consolidated and drained before placing the concrete,” CONCRETE HIGHWAYS LAID IN UNITED STATES AND CANADA. Prior to 10011, 709,300 ,sp yds. In 1900, 501,271 sq. yds. * In 1910, 1,313,440 sip yds. In 10.11, 2,000,445 sq. yds. In 1912, 5,285,447 sip yds. in 1913, 0,500,280 sq. yds. In 1914, 14,815,034 sq.yds. In 1915, 10,401,340 sq. yds.