History: Road Commission Report on Woodward Avenue Paving
Woodward Avenue Road
Total road improved, 10,560 feet
Paving - The work on this road was started at the northerly line of Highland Park
village. One mile, or 5,280 feet of concrete was built, and one mile graded, holes
and ruts repaired with stone, and the whole oiled to keep down the dust.
We
believe the stretch of concrete on this road will prove the most satisfactory piece
of road constructed in Michigan up to date. After noting the wear on the two principal
roads comparable to Woodward, viz: Grand River and Gratiot, your Commission was
of the opinion that a better form of construction was needed than macadam, on a
road called up to carry the enormous traffic, which finds an outlet over Woodward
Avenue to Palmer Park, the golf grounds, the state fair, and the hills and gravel
of Oakland County. After thoroughly investigating the subject and the experiences
of nearby smaller towns in the matter of concrete crosswalks, inspection of concrete
bridge decks, inspection of the concrete streets in Windsor, Ont., noting the grades
of material used, the light form of construction, and the general satisfaction these
were fiving, we decided that a concrete road would come more nearly realizing the
ideal than any other form. The points considered were comparatively low first cost,
low maintenance cost, freedom from dirt and dust [there being no detritus from a
concrete road itself] its comparative noiselessness, and ease of traction for vehicles
of all descriptions.
The
road is laid in two courses, 24 feet in its narrowest width, with 18 feet of concrete,
6-1/2 inches deep. The first course is made of a 1-21/2-5 mix of Portland cement,
sand and limestone, 4 inches deep, and the second course of a 1-2-3 mix of Portland
cement, sand and crushed cobblestone, 2-1/2 inches deep. It is laid in 25-ft. sections.
The one weak feature of a concrete road is the matter of expansion, and in order
to properly cope with this phase of the question we made several kinds of experimental
joints. Two thicknesses of 3-ply tar paper were used in some sections, a southern
pine board 1/2-inch wide was used in other sections, a composition of asphalt, still
wax and pitch was tried in still other sections, and in other sections the edges
were protected by an angle iron embedded in the concrete and filled with the above
composition.
This road has attracted a great deal of attention among the road builders of the
entire country, and numerous delegations have visited it during the past summer.
We have also been the recipient of many inquiries for information concerning it.
The cost of this piece of work is considerably lower than the average cost of macacam
roads constructed in New York and Pennsylvania as taken from detailed reports of
these states, and we believe it to be superior in every feature to the best macadam
road that can be built. However, time alone can justify our judgment in the matter.
The following is a summary of the cost of the concrete road.
Contract: $10,200.70
Open ditch, labor: $153.05
Tile drain, labor $376.62
Tile drain, material $312.41
Inspection, building shoulders and all other items entering into the road $2,494.81.
Total cost of concrete road $13,537.59.
