Engineering supervision was furnished by the State Highway Department, the engineer in charge of the work being Mr. B. H. McNamee.
The total amount expended by the County, prior to November 30th, on this work was approximately $30,000.00, and the quantities of construction completed to this date were as follows:
Common Excavation 8,000 cu. yds Rock Excavation 12,000 cu. yds.
Pipe, 12-inch 234 lin. ft.
Pipe, 20-inch 72 lin. ft.
Pipe, 16-inch 100 lin. ft.
Clearing 8 acres
Grading between Cummins Hill and Fossil
During April and May, 1918, Wheeler County graded, under the direction of the State Highway Department, a section of the John Day Highway between Cummins Hill and Fossil. This grade was .7 of a mile in length and joined up with the Cummins Hill grading. This improvement cost the County approximately $4,000.00. Geo. Hibbert was inspector and transitman in charge for the State Department.
Survey of the John Day River Highway
With the exception of a two mile section immediately West of Fossil, the entire John Day River Highway through Wheeler County is covered by location survey made during the past two years. The total length of survey on this highway is 41.5 miles. For all but about twelve miles, of this total, the detailed plans are practically complete. The survey of this highway has been in charge of B. H. McNamee.
Survey of the McKenzie River Highway
The State Highway Department has completed a survey of the McKenzie River Highway in Wheeler County from the boundary of the Ochoco National Forest west of Mitchell to the Grant County Line near Dayville, a total distance of 48 miles. This survey was made by Locating Engineer R. H.
Coppock. The plans are complete except for the eight miles west from the Grant County line.
From the west end of this survey at Ochoco Forest boundary, the Federal Office of Public Roads has made a survey to the Crook County line, so the survey of the McKenzie River Highway is complete all of the way through Wheeler County.
Survey of Highway No. 14
In 1917, pursuant to a request from the County Court, a section of Highway No. 14 between Mitchell and Antelope was surveyed. This survey begins at the point on the Mitchell-Prineville survey about four miles west of Mitchell and extends 1.4 miles down Bridge Creek to where connection is made with the present road. This survey was made by R. H.
Coppock, locating engineer.
Sarvice Creek-Valades Ranch Post Road Project
Application has been made to, and approved, by the Federal Office of Public Roads for Post Road co-operation on a 48.5 miles section of the John Day River Highway in Wheeler and Grant Counties. 25.5 miles of this project are in Wheeler County and 23 miles in Grant County. The total estimated cost of the project is $400,433.79, and the funds are to be provided as follows: State $157,216.90, Government $157,216.89; Wheeler County $36,000.00 and Grant County $50,000.00.
The survey for this project parallels the John Day River on the north bank, through Wheeler County and extends from the mouth of Sarvice Creek in Wheeler County to Valades Ranch about four miles West of Dayville in Grant County. In Grant County a crossing is made to the west bank near the upper end of the Big Basin.
It is expected that construction will be commenced on the Sarvice Creek-Valades Ranch Project early in 1919.
Ochoco Canyon Forest Project
A Federal Aid Co-operative Agreement has been entered into between the State, the Federal Government, and Wheeler County for the grading of a 5.5 mile section on the McKenzie River Highway. This section is known as the Ochoco Canyon Section and extends from the Crook County line to a point about 16 miles west of Mitchell.
This work is estimated to cost $45,000.00 of which the State will pay $20,050.00, Wheeler County $4,900.00, and the Federal Government $20,050.00. It is expected that this section will be built during the 1919 season.
YAMHILL COUNTY
In Yamhill County the State Highway Department has co-operated with the County in the grading and paving of 3.2 miles between Rex and Newberg and of 4 miles between Sheridan and McMinnville. The total expenditure on this work amounts to $147,000.00 of which the County has paid $18,273.49.
An effort has been made to secure Federal Aid in the construction of a section of the Portland-Tillamook Highway from Grande Ronde west. With this in view, the necessary surveys have been made, and it is expected that Federal Aid will be secured so that the construction may be undertaken during the 1919 season.
Sheridan Paving--1917
In 1917 the Highway Department constructed with its own forces and equipment 1.8 miles of concrete pavement from Sheridan east on the Sheridan-McMinnville Road. This pavement was 16 feet wide, 6 inches thick at the center and 5 inches thick at the edges. The mix used was a 1:1:3.
In connection with the paving there was a considerable amount of grading, the total expenditure for grading, culverts, etc., being $5,651.70. The cost of the 1.8 miles of paving was $31,432.99, the unit cost being $1.82 per cubic yard.
Yamhill County co-operated in the payment for this work to the amount of $10,000.00. A complete statement of the costs on this work is given below.
COST STATEMENT--SHERIDAN PAVING--1917
Quantity Item Cost Unit Cost
2498 cu. yds. Common Excavation } 652 cu. yds. Intermediate Excavation } $ 4,442.85 $ .906 1750 cu. yds. Solid Rock Excavation } 182 lin. ft. 12-inch Culvert Pipe 283.90 1.56 118 lin. ft. 18-inch Culvert Pipe 276.00 2.34 44 lin. ft. 24-inch Culvert Pipe 134.20 3.05 290 lin. ft. 6-inch Porous Drain Tile 52.25 .18 25 cu. yds. Class "C" Concrete 462.50 18.50 17,150 sq. yds. Concrete Pavement 31,198.87 1.82 5050 lin. ft. Expansion Joints 234.12 .046 ----------- Total Construction Cost $ 37,084.69 Engineering 1,131.35 ----------- Grand Total Cost $ 38,216.04
Paid by State $ 28,216.04 Paid by County 10,000.00 ----------- Total $ 38,216.04
Sheridan Paving--1918
Early in 1918, Yamhill County requested that the concrete pavement laid in 1917 be continued to a total length of four miles, and offered to pay for all grading necessary in connection therewith. This request was granted by the Highway Commission and in the early spring, construction was started on the additional 2.2 miles.
The type of pavement laid on this section was the same as that laid in 1917, except that crushed rock aggregate was used instead of gravel, and the mix was reduced to 1:2:3.
[Illustration: STATE OWNED PAVING PLANT IN OPERATION NEAR SHERIDAN IN YAMHILL COUNTY. ON THE YAMHILL NESTUCCA HIGHWAY]
The coarse aggregate consisted of crushed stone ranging from inch to 2 inches. For the fine aggregate, both Columbia River and Willamette River sand was used. The stone was crushed from a quarry operated by the State on Deer Creek which was near the center of the job and consisted of an altered basalt of rather coarse texture. The quality of this stone is not equal to the true basalt; but tests made by the Oregon Agricultural College showed that it was of good quality. The average haul on this material was .6 of a mile.
Crushing was begun early in March and 1200 cubic yards of material stored in a stock pile which was rehandled later by means of an automatic loader purchased by the State Highway Department for this class of work. The output of the crusher was insufficient to keep the mixer running and by means of this stock pile it was possible to keep the material coming on to the road steadily and finish the job in a minimum length of time and with the least inconvenience to traffic.
In this connection the experience on this job shows the advisability of using a stock pile of material to draw from in case of emergencies. When this is done the work is allowed to go ahead steadily, although a breakdown at the crusher may occur. The saving made by a steady run more than offsets the cost of rehandling the material, which is done very reasonably by the use of machinery.
The sand was shipped to Ballston and Sheridan by railroad, approximately equal amounts being shipped to both places and was so divided as to get a minimum length of haul on this material. The average haul was 3.5 miles. At Ballston the sand was unloaded from the cars into bunkers, which dumped directly into trucks, while at Sheridan no bunkers were available and the material was unloaded on the ground and rehandled by means of an automatic loader. No delay was caused by car shortage as we used our stock pile at Sheridan in emergencies. All the material was hauled and handled by means of trucks, two of which belonged to the State Highway Department, others working on a yardage basis.
The pavement, after being struck off, was finished by the roller and belt method; being rolled from two to four times, according to the condition of the concrete and later belted with eight and ten inch belts. The eight inch belt being used first. By using this method of finishing, we were able to eliminate the use of skilled labor, which showed a material saving in the finishing item, and at the same time secured a very satisfactory surface.
As soon as sufficiently hardened, the pavement was covered with earth from the roadside and kept moist for at least one week while curing. The earth covering was later removed by means of an ordinary road grader, when ready to be opened for traffic, the elastite joints being trimmed at the same operation.
A short stretch of pavement was left out at Deer Creek to allow a fill to settle during the winter rains. In conformity with our general practice, sufficient crushed rock was left on the job to complete this stretch and make repairs.
Elastite joints were placed every thirty feet and extended the entire width and depth of the pavement. Continuous forms were used on a portion of this pavement and were found to be much superior to the ordinary type, and the Department has adopted the continuous form for future work. These forms are made by using two pieces of form lumber 1 inches by 5 inches nailed together. The joints are lapped one-half the length of the stick. The finished form is 3x5 inches and is easily placed on either tangents or sharp curves.