EARTH, SAND-CLAY, AND GRAVEL ROADS, 3 
public roads will be raised rather than lowered. Due foresight, 
therefore, should be exercised in working out the location and design 
of a road, so that later improvements, such as reducing grades, in- 
creasing the width of the traveled way, or constructing a better sur- 
face, can be made without the necessity of making expensive changes 
in the location or otherwise wasting any considerable part of the 
work already accomplished. 
A few general rules regarding the location and design of public 
roads may be stated briefly as follows : 
1. Avoid sharp curves in the road, because such curves are a men- 
ace to traffic. On light grades and level stretches the location should 
be preferably such that a traveler may see at least 200 or 300 feet 
ahead from any point on the road, and on steeper grades this dis- 
tance should be increased if automobile traffic is to be reasonably safe. 
Where the view is unobstructed and the grade is practically level 
country roads of ordinary width may be curved to a radius of only 
about 200 feet without seriously inconveniencing traffic, but to safe- 
guard against accidents the radius of curves located on grades should 
be preferably not less than about 300 or 400 feet, even if the view is 
perfectly open. 
2. Provide ample width for vehicles to pass each other without 
leaving the traveled way. The question of proper width is discussed 
on page 11. 
3. Bear in mind that if a road ever becomes of any considerable 
importance, its users probably will demand that all the steeper grades 
be reduced to the lowest maximum that would conform to the general 
topography of the region which the road traverses. The question of 
grades is discussed on page 11. 
4. Avoid all unnecessary distance. Aside from the advantages to 
traffic of a short route, each mile of additional road involves a con- 
siderable extra yearly expense for maintenance, and this alone may 
warrant the extra expense of shortening the route when the road is 
constructed, provided that the decrease in distance does not mate- 
rially increase the steepness of the grades. 
5. Regard land lines only in so far as this may be" done without de- 
creasing the usefulness of the road or increasing its ultimate cost. 
The tendency in most rural communities is to locate all new roads 
along land lines, regardless of the suitability of the route, and this 
has been responsible for much waste in the past. Not infrequently 
roads located along land lines have been graded at considerable 
expense, and abandoned later when the community demanded a more 
highly improved road with better grades. 
6. Give reasonable consideration to the pleasing features of the 
location. A large part of the travel on most country roads is for 
