MILES OF ROADS BUILT

The public has not been fully informed that adequate and permanent roads would cost more than the estimates and bond issues indicated. This has resulted in the building of roads that are dangerously narrow and too frail and the leaving off of the shoulders which are a necessary part of the permanent construction of the highways.

Out of the first bond issue 1,044 miles of State roads were proposed for Southern California. Of these but 655 miles were constructed, inclusive of 65 miles that were built by the counties. Fifty-six per cent of the program under this bond issue, therefore, has been completed in Southern California.

Out of the second bond issue 370 miles of roads in addition to the first 1,044 miles were proposed to be built in Southern California. Considering these 370 miles of new roads, but 62 miles have been built to date in Southern California of which 33 miles were constructed by the counties. The exact proportion of the second bond issue that has been expended is, at this writing, not known to us but it is understood that the greater portion of it has been spent. Less than six per cent of this program under the second bond issue has been carried out.

Probably funds from the second bond issue have been used in part for the construction of trunk roads specified in the first bond issue. Of the $15,000,000 provided for in the second bond issue, $3,000,000 were made available for co-operative work with the counties for the building of certain specified laterals. Of the $15,000,000 in bonds, $13,000,000 of this issue have been sold, but there has been charged against this issue $13,784,000, thus necessitating borrowing from some other fund. The third bond issue provides for the building of these laterals exclusively at the expense of the State. A list of roads proposed under the third bond issue is given on Page 23.

According to lists given on Pages 23 and 24 that have been furnished by the State Highway Commission, there were to be constructed in Southern California from the first and second bond issues, including the laterals, 1,414 miles of highways. From these two issues to date there have been built by the Commission 619 miles of road or forty-three per cent (43%) of the program, or 709 miles inclusive of sections of road built by various counties and incorporated in the highway system.

The details of these programs are given on pages 35 and 36.

The total mileage proposed to be built by the first and second issues for the entire State was 3,762. Practically no roads have yet been built with the third bond issue. The total actual mileage built in the State system to July, 1920, excluding roads acquired from the counties and mountain unpaved roads, is:*

*Compiled from "Tabulations of average life of State highways," furnished by California Highway Commission.

Statement of work done and to be done on the various State highway routes as proposed under first and second bond issues in Southern California to July 1, 1920:*

Route No. 4-South line Fresno County to north city limits of Los Angeles:

17.74 miles

16.14

1.60

17.74

Route No. 19-From Route No. 9 near Claremont to Riverside via Pomona :

Total length by sections..

Total built by State.

Total built by county.

Total

Route No. 23-Saugus to Bridgeport:

Total length by sections.

337.50 miles

APPROXIMATE AVERAGE FIRST COSTS OF HIGHWAYS

In order to make general deductions and conclusions, it was necessary to assemble practically all the data of a physical, historical and financial nature together in one set of tables. This data is the foundation upon which the general conclusions herein are drawn. It is of too elaborate and extensive a nature to publish in this report. It is placed with many other details in the archives of the Automobile Club of Southern California.

These tables classify the road work by counties, years built, routes, lengths, dimensions of slab, sub-base condition, service, costs, reconstruction charges, past and present conditions, maintenance costs, traffic, and causes of failure. There are 52 columns so grouped. The data presented in these tables has been considered under various subjects separately in this report.

It is difficult and often misleading to make generalized statements as to the relative costs of roads because of the variation of the conditions that enter into such charges; for instance, the length of haul of the concrete aggregates, the quantities of excavation in the road-bed itself, water situation, etc. However, it is desirable to form some idea of the increase in the cost of highway construction, due to advancing figures, during the past seven years in which California roads have been built. Comparisons are only made between roads built on valleys and plains because of wide variation in excavation costs of mountain construction.

The following original costs of building State and county concrete pavements have been obtained for Southern California:

*Class A is of 1-2-4 mix. Class B. is of 1-21⁄2-5 mix.

Fourteen per cent has been added to Commission's figures for overhead, etc., on State roads only.

work is included in totals shown. (1) Compiled from data furnished by C. H. C. (2) Compiled from data furnished by L. A. Co. (3) Compiled from data furnished by Orange Co.

The overhead for county

It will be noted that the road with a 4"x18' concrete pavement appears to cost less than the road with a 4"x15' concrete pavement, both having the same aggregates. In the early stages of road building costs were not well established and a large number of contractors lost. There were very wide variations in the prices bid. The pavement alone on a 4′′x18′ road cost approximately $425.00 per mile less than the pavement on a 4′′x15′ road. The haul of materials on the wider pavement generally was less than the haul of materials on the 4"x15' road.

In comparing the original costs of concrete roads built by the State and several counties, as given in Table No. 3, page 37, it is found that Orange County built 137 miles of road during the years 1914 to 1919 over generally flat country varying the width of road from 16 feet to 20 feet at a total cost per mile of $9,267.00. These roads were 50 per cent surfaced with 3-inch oil and screenings. The State built 160 miles of road in Southern California during the years 1914 to 1917 over flat country with a width of pavement of 15 feet and the same thickness of concrete as Orange County at a total cost of $12,343.00 per mile. This figure does not include cost of shoulders. A further comparison shows that the pavement cost alone on the State jobs, for a narrower pavement, was 92 per cent as much as the total costs for pavements, road-bed and openings for Orange County.

Los Angeles County costs fall between the Orange County and State costs. It is interesting to note that 13.20 miles in Mint Canyon, which can be classed as rolling country, cost the county $13,700.00 per mile as compared with the average State cost of $14,677.00 per mile in rolling country in Southern California for the same period, Los Angeles County building a 5-inch thick by 20-feet wide pavement, and the State constructing a pavement 4 inches thick by 15 feet wide without shoulders. The above costs for country-built road include a 3-inch oil surfacing but no shoulders, these not being necessary with the 20-foot pavement built.

In Orange County the State built 11.2 miles of 4"x18' concrete paved road in 1914. The average cost per mile, exclusive of overhead, was $9,567.00. Fourteen per cent has been added to include overhead, making the total cost per mile $10,906.00. The total cost per mile for 67.53 miles of 4"x18' concrete road built by Orange County in the years 1915, 1916 and 1917 was $9,037.00, including actual overhead and all incidental expenses. Of these State and county roads approximately 50 per cent were surfaced with 3-inch oil and screenings.