Remarks on the Present System of Road Making: With Observations, Deduced from Practice and Experience, With a View to a Revision of the Existing Laws, and the Introduction of Improvement in the Method of Making, Repairing, and Preserving Roads, and Defending the Road Funds from Misapplication. Seventh Edition, Carefully Revised, With an Appendix, and Report from the Select Committee of the House of Commons, June 1823, with Extracts from the EvidenceMcAdam, John Loudon
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Remarks on the Present System of Road Making: With Observations, Deduced from Practice and Experience, With a View to a Revision of the Existing Laws, and the Introduction of Improvement in the Method of Making, Repairing, and Preserving Roads, and Defending the Road Funds from Misapplication. Seventh Edition, Carefully Revised, With an Appendix, and Report from the Select Committee of the House of Commons, June 1823, with Extracts from the Evidence
McAdam, John Loudon
Macadam roads; Roads -- Great Britain
Has any suggestion been made to you of converting the pavement of any
part of the streets of London into road?—I have been ordered, by the
Parliamentary commissioners having charge of Westminster Bridge, to
prepare an estimate and report, with a view to convert that pavement
into a broken stone road, which documents I have furnished; and I have
reason to believe that the same will be immediately carried into effect.
I have been also directed by the trustees and proprietors of St. James’s
square, to prepare (which I have done) the same documents, with a view
to substitute a broken stone road in St. James’s square, in lieu of the
present pavement.
What is your opinion of the effect that would be found from its being
carried into execution in all the streets of London, as to the reduction
of expense, and benefit generally to the public?—I consider that the
expense would be most materially reduced; the convenience of passing
over the surface, there could be no doubt, would be generally
facilitated, and made more convenient, particularly in the great leading
streets, such as Piccadilly, Pall-mall, Parliament street and Whitehall,
and others of that description; the expense of the same weight of stone
now put upon those streets as pavement would be obtained at infinitely
less expense, in a different form, for the purpose of road-making.
Is it your plan to raise the present pavement, and convert that pavement
into materials for making the road, or to bring new materials and
dispose of the pavement?—For Westminster Bridge I recommended to the
trustees to sell the present pavement, because as long as pavements
continue to be generally used, stone in that shape and size will always
be valuable, and the same weight of granite I could obtain for the
formation of the road over the bridge at 10_s._ 6_d._ per ton, the
present pavement being worth a guinea per ton; but were the streets of
London generally taken up, pavement would of course become of less
value, and it might be broken for the formation of the roads.
Is that pavement of a quality calculated to make good roads?—The best
material in the kingdom.
What proportion would the pavement now used in the streets of London
bear to the materials necessary to the formation of the roads?—There
would be sufficient for the formation of a strong durable road in the
first instance; and I estimate that a supply of materials for the future
care of the road, for a considerable time, would be left.
Would that answer in all the small streets of the metropolis as well as
for the large and open streets?—I think not so well in the very narrow
streets, which are liable to water, and where, from the width of the
street, the thoroughfare must necessarily be upon one given spot. I beg,
however, to observe, that the thoroughfare in those streets is extremely
small.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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