𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐍'𝐒 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃 (𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟗𝟎𝟗)

𝑫𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑯𝒂𝒔 𝑮𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

Samuel S. Jones of Clinton, Wis., furnished the following details of construction of an experimental road built for educational purposes under the direction of the office of public roads, with George L. Cooley in charge:

"This road was constructed in the town of Clinton, Rock county, Wis., one mile east of the village of Clinton. In the construction of this road all the machinery was furnished by the government at no expense to the town. The town, on its part, furnished all the labor and material.

"This road commenced at the top of a clay hill and extended down the side to and across a black muck slough. Thus we had the advantage of observing the construction of and finishing under the different soil conditions. The road was first graded to a width of thirty-six feet from gutter to gutter. The trench for receiving the crushed rock of which the road was constructed was twelve feet wide. This trench was shouldered evenly at the edges. The bed of the trench or roadbed was brought to a perfect grade, having a crown of three-fourths inch to the foot from the center of crown to the side shoulders.

"When the roadbed was in proper shape for the superstructure cross drains were put in at intervals of 100 feet. These drains, which were from eight to ten inches deep and one foot. wide, were filled with coarse crushed stone and extended to the outside gutter, thereby ensuring perfect drainage for the road when finished.

"The superstructure was built of limestone, the first layer being crushed to a size which would pass through a three inch ring. This layer was then rolled thoroughly and covered with a finer grade of stone and again rolled. This method of placing on layers and rolling was continued until fourteen inches of the loose material had been rolled to a solid bed eight inches thick. During the rolling process water was sprinkled on the different layers of stone to help cement the stone together and thereby make a perfect surface for traffic.

When the road was completed as far as the coarser stone and rolling were concerned a layer of siftings from the crusher was spread evenly over the surface of the road and alternately rolled and sprinkled until no more could be worked into the roadbed either by sprinkling or rolling. The surface of the road reached that point of perfection in building where neither siftings nor water could be forced into it. The finishing of the earth shoulders, which are six feet wide on each side of the stone drive-way, with just enough slant to carry off all surface water and leave a good to earth road on either side made the road complete and gives us a twenty-four foot road of earth and stone. "It was built under very expensive conditions, our shortest haul for stone being four miles. Labor cost from $3 to $4 per day, team and man from $5 to $7 per day, and even at these prices we could procure but half enough teams to keep the machinery running, thereby increasing greatly the expense. This road is giving the best of satisfaction and is fast gaining friends."