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 — John Shaqi
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
History
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
Several new roads have been constructed an this principle within the
last three years. Part of the great north road from London by Hoddesdon
in Hertfordshire—two pieces of road on Durdham Down, and at Rownham
Ferry, near Bristol—with several private roads, in the eastern part of
Sussex.
None of those roads exceed six inches in thickness, and although that on
the great north road is subjected to a very heavy traffic, (being only
fifteen miles distant from London) it has not given way, nor was it
affected by the late severe winter; when the roads between that and
London became impassable, by breaking up to the bottom, and the mails
and other coaches were obliged to reach London by circuitous routes. It
is worthy of observation, that these bad roads cost more money per mile
for their annual repair, than the original making of this useful new
road.
Improvement of roads, upon the principle I have endeavoured to explain,
has been rapidly extended during the last four years. It has been
carried into effect, on various roads, and with every variety of
material, in seventeen different counties. These roads being so
constructed as to exclude water, consequently none of them broke up
during the late severe winter; there was no interruption to travelling,
nor any additional expense by the Post-office in conveying the mails
over them, to the extent of upwards of one thousand miles of road.
Many new roads, and to a considerable extent, are projected for the
ensuing season. Some of them are to be assisted by grants or loans from
government, and it will be a great saving of property, and enable
government to extend their assistance more effectually, if these roads
be made in the most approved and economical manner.
The unnecessary expense attending the making of new roads in the manner
hitherto practised, is one great cause of the present heavy debt upon
the road trusts of the kingdom. The principal part of the large sums
originally borrowed, have been sunk in the useless, and in my opinion,
mischievous preparation, of a foundation. This debt presses heavily on
the funds of all the roads in England, and, in many cases, absorbs
almost their whole revenue in payment of interest. In Scotland this
pressure is still more heavily felt: indeed it is not of uncommon
occurrence in that country, for creditors to lose both principal and
interest of their loans to roads.
This causes not only a great and unnecessary loss in the first instance,
and a deficiency of means for ordinary repair, and maintenance of the
roads, but it also discourages the formation of new roads. Were a better
and more economical system generally adopted and acted upon, many great
additions and improvements of the communications of the country would
take place, from which, at present, the landholders are deterred, by
fear of the extent of the expense, and the difficulty of obtaining loans
of money.
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