﻿ROAD 
  CONSTRUCTION 
  lO^ 
  

  

  these 
  breaks 
  are 
  of 
  use 
  in 
  supporting 
  heavily 
  laden 
  wagons 
  while 
  the 
  

   teams 
  are 
  resting. 
  

  

  The 
  practice 
  of 
  chaining 
  a 
  wheel 
  in 
  descending 
  a 
  steep 
  hill 
  with 
  a 
  

   loaded 
  wagon, 
  which 
  method 
  provides 
  an 
  inexpensive 
  substitute 
  for 
  a 
  

   brake, 
  rapidly 
  wears 
  deep 
  ruts 
  in 
  hill 
  roads 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  'breakers' 
  built 
  

   across 
  them. 
  This 
  practice 
  is 
  far 
  more 
  destructive 
  than 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  narrow 
  

   tires 
  and 
  should 
  be 
  prohibited 
  by 
  law 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  possible. 
  On 
  hill 
  roads 
  

   where 
  the 
  ascent 
  is 
  not 
  too 
  steep 
  to 
  permit 
  the 
  maximum 
  load 
  to 
  be 
  

   drawn 
  continuously 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  necessary 
  for 
  the 
  team 
  to 
  stop 
  and 
  

   rest, 
  a 
  very 
  satisfactory 
  substitute 
  for 
  ' 
  breakers 
  ' 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  a 
  wooden 
  

   box 
  drain 
  or 
  sluice 
  placed 
  across 
  the 
  road 
  at 
  a 
  slight 
  angle 
  with 
  the 
  per- 
  

   pendicular, 
  the 
  top 
  consisting 
  of 
  oak 
  slats 
  about 
  3 
  in. 
  x 
  4 
  in. 
  with 
  a 
  

   space 
  of 
  about 
  2 
  in. 
  between 
  them. 
  These 
  transverse 
  gratings 
  intercept 
  

   and 
  carry 
  off 
  the 
  water 
  flowing 
  lengthwise 
  of 
  the 
  road, 
  which 
  if 
  allowed 
  

   to 
  go 
  far 
  would 
  gain 
  in 
  volume 
  and 
  erosive 
  power 
  until 
  serious 
  damage 
  

   would 
  be 
  done. 
  

  

  A 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  Massachusetts 
  Highway 
  Commission 
  has 
  

   been 
  to 
  eliminate 
  steep 
  grades 
  from 
  the 
  roads 
  built 
  at 
  state 
  expense. 
  In 
  

   many 
  cases 
  a 
  change 
  of 
  location 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  necessary 
  to 
  accomplish 
  

   this 
  end. 
  

  

  A 
  serious 
  cause 
  of 
  wear 
  oii 
  roads 
  is 
  the 
  filling 
  of 
  the 
  gutters 
  with 
  snow 
  

   and 
  ice 
  which 
  often 
  accumulates 
  to 
  such 
  a 
  height 
  as 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  center 
  

   of 
  the 
  road 
  the«principal 
  line 
  of 
  drainage. 
  When 
  this 
  occurs 
  on 
  earth 
  

   roads, 
  in 
  early 
  spring 
  a 
  large 
  volume 
  of 
  snow-water 
  follows 
  this 
  channel, 
  

   seriously 
  damaging 
  the 
  road 
  and 
  necessitating 
  much 
  expense 
  in 
  its 
  repair. 
  

   Even 
  the 
  best 
  type 
  of 
  Macadam 
  or 
  Telford 
  road 
  would 
  eventually 
  be 
  

   damaged 
  in 
  this 
  way. 
  I 
  am 
  mformed 
  by 
  the 
  Massachusetts 
  Highway 
  

   Commission 
  that 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  necessary 
  in 
  that 
  State 
  to 
  have 
  the 
  

   snow 
  removed 
  from 
  the 
  gutters 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  prevent 
  damage 
  of 
  this 
  

   character. 
  When 
  the 
  gutters 
  are 
  open 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  difficult 
  matter 
  to 
  

   remove 
  the 
  snow 
  and 
  ice 
  if 
  sufficient 
  money 
  is 
  provided 
  for 
  the 
  purpose. 
  

   It 
  is 
  however, 
  the 
  custom 
  in 
  our 
  rural 
  districts 
  to 
  have 
  gutter 
  bridges 
  and 
  

   box 
  or 
  stone 
  drains 
  at 
  the 
  junction 
  of 
  private 
  roads 
  or 
  minor 
  cross 
  roads 
  

   with 
  the 
  main 
  highways. 
  When 
  these 
  become 
  clogged 
  with 
  ice 
  as 
  they 
  

   invariably 
  do, 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  clear 
  them 
  without 
  taking 
  them 
  apart 
  

   and 
  this 
  is 
  rarely 
  practicable. 
  

  

  In 
  Massachusetts 
  these 
  gutter 
  bridges 
  are 
  prohibited 
  on 
  the 
  new 
  roads, 
  

   the 
  lateral 
  roads 
  being 
  made 
  to 
  meet 
  the 
  main 
  roads 
  at 
  a 
  very 
  gentle 
  

   slope, 
  leaving 
  an 
  open 
  gutter 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  driven 
  over 
  without 
  discom- 
  

   fort. 
  With 
  an 
  earth 
  road 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  difficult 
  to 
  maintain 
  such 
  an 
  open 
  

  

  