Third Biennial Report of the Oregon State Highway Commission Part 12

CLATSOP COUNTY

During the period from December 1, 1916, to November 30, 1918, the State Highway Department expended in Clatsop County the sum of $344,387.23.

The work accomplished consists of 3.5 miles of bituminous paving, 22.7 miles of broken stone macadam, 1.7 miles of gravel macadam, 1.2 miles of new grading, one covered wood draw bridge, two reinforced concrete bridges, and 1-6x12 ft. reinforced concrete box culvert, all of these improvements being on the Columbia River Highway between Astoria and the Columbia County Line.

Astoria-Svensen Paving

On July 20, 1917, the State Highway Department contracted with the Warren Construction Company for nine miles of paving between Astoria and Svensen. This contract called for a 16-foot bituminous pavement on a crushed rock base and with two-foot macadam shoulders. The contract also included the grading of a section 1.2 miles in length about midway between Astoria and Svensen, this section being known as the John Day Cut-off.

Work was started on the grading of the cut-off on August 6, 1917, and on the erection of the paving plant on August 15. On September 20, the first batch of hot stuff was placed on the road at the Svensen end. The work was just nicely started, however, when the rainy season which came on unusually early, started in and the work had to be discontinued. At this time the work on the grading of the cut-off was but fifty or sixty per cent complete, and only one mile of paving had been laid.

The following season, the roadbed did not become sufficiently dry to permit of resumption of work until about the 15th of June, but even at that late date the contractors were not able to start work on account of the shortage in materials and labor resulting from the partic.i.p.ation of the United States in the war, and it was not until July 23 the work was resumed. Continued shortage of labor and material made progress very slow particularly on the placing of rock base, and when the 1918 rainy season came on a total of only 3.5 miles of paving had been completed.

The grading of the John Day Cut-off had been finished, however, and considerable progress made on the removal of slides and regrading of roadbed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BITUMINOUS PAVING NEAR SVENSON IN CLATSOP COUNTY ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY. PAVED IN 1917]

The paving was discontinued on October 2 but in order to provide a pa.s.sable roadbed at as early a date as possible, it was decided to continue the placing of rock base during the winter months. This work is now in progress, and it is expected that a rocked surface over the remaining unpaved distance of 5.5 miles will be secured by about January 1, 1919.

The paving work will be continued again next season, and will undoubtedly be completed early in the season.

It is estimated that the grading and paving of this section will cost completed $236,000.00. The total expenditures to November 30, 1918, amounted to $96,955.97 and there remained unpaid to the contractor for work done to that date the sum of $15,225.64.

The engineering work was in charge of Mr. J. E. Nelson, during the 1917 season, and in charge of Mr. H. N. Hackett during the 1918 season.

Svensen-Westport Macadam

From Westport to Svensen in Clatsop County, 13.55 miles of 16-foot waterbound macadam, 3.6 miles of 9-foot waterbound macadam and 1.76 miles of gravel was laid. This work was handled by the Warren Construction Company prior to December 26, 1917, at which time the State Highway Department took the work over and proceeded with State forces.

On this section the unit costs show a slight advantage in favor of doing the work with State forces. Conditions were practically the same as on the Clatskanie-Westport Section in Columbia County--the State paying higher wages than the contractor, but the contractor having the disadvantage of more unfavorable weather conditions. The main advantage in the State doing this work was gained by having better control of the organization and more direct supervision of the work.

The original intention was to complete all macadam 16-feet wide but the increased cost of labor, supplies, etc., made it necessary to reduce the width of the macadam to nine feet so as to complete the full distance with the money available.

COST STATEMENT--SVENSEN-WESTPORT MACADAM

===========================+==========+=========+============+======= Item | Unit | Quan- | Cost | Unit | | t.i.ty | | Cost ---------------------------+----------+---------+------------+------- By Warren Construction Co.,| | | | on cost plus contract-- | | | | Clearing and grubbing | Acres | 1 |$ 112.18 |$112.18 Excavation | Cu. Yd. | 9,069 | 6,468.95 | .71 6-inch by 12-inch pipe | Foot | 1,519 | 4,472.69 | 2.90 Waterbound macadam |[8]Cu. Yd.| 13,409 | 53,010.60 | 3.95 Engineering | ... | ... | 971.84 | ...

By State Forces-- | | | | Excavation | Cu. Yd. | 11,512 | 7,540.71 | .64 6-inch by 12-inch pipe, | Foot | 1,760 | 328.80 | .19 laying only | | | | Waterbound macadam | Cu. Yd. | 34,722 | 134,022.23 | 3.86 Engineering | | | 1,651.69 | ...

| | +------------+ Total | ... | ... |$208,579.69 | ...

[8] Including 1,839 cubic yards of gravel purchased at a cost of $1,839.00 and 5,278 cubic yards crushed rock purchased at a cost of $6,333.60. All other rock was crushed and cost of crushing is included in the cost of the macadam.

[Ill.u.s.tration: COVERED WOOD DRAWBRIDGE ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY IN CLATSOP COUNTY, OVER THE JOHN DAY RIVER EAST OF ASTORIA. BUILT IN 1918.

LIFT SPAN--40 FEET]

John Day River Bridge

As a part of the improvement of the Columbia River Highway between Astoria and Svensen, a bridge was constructed over the John Day River about four miles east of Astoria.

The John Day River is a stream navigable to small boats, so it was necessary to provide a movable span of 40-foot clear opening. Owing to the unusually high price of steel it was decided to construct this bridge of wood. The movable span is of the single leaf bascule type operated by a windla.s.s. Counter weights are employed to a.s.sist the movement of the span and in order to compensate for the variable pull required to lift the span at different phases of its movement, the counter weight cables operate over spiral drums in such manner that their pull is a maximum when the span is down, and is least when the span is raised, gradually changing between the two extremes. In order to guard against failure of the operator to close the gate on the side of the stream opposite the machinery, an automatic gate was constructed. It closes when the bridge starts to open and when the bridge closes it swings back out of the way automatically.

The bridge rests on concrete piers carried on piling, and besides the lift span there are two 90-foot covered wooden spans. The operating machinery is completely housed in by means of a tower.

The crossing was designed to carry 20-ton trucks and the covered spans have laminated wood floors with asphaltic wearing surface.

One of the most serious objections raised against covered wooden bridges is the lack of light. This was overcome in this case, as in other wooden bridges on primary roads designed by this Department, by whitewashing the interior and the addition of open windows at panel points. These are provided with returns, and with the asphaltic wearing surface on the floors of such bridges prevent moisture coming in contact with the structural timbers of the bridge.

This bridge was built by the Portland Bridge Company and the total cost will be about $25,000.00. The payments on the bridge to November 30, 1918, amounted to $21,051.52. Mr. Leigh M. Huggins was resident engineer in charge of construction.

Big Creek Bridge

This bridge is located on the Columbia River Highway near Knappa. It consists of two forty-five-foot reinforced concrete spans, and was built by the State Highway Department with State forces at a cost of $8,446.70.

Plympton Creek Bridge

The Plympton Creek Bridge is located on the Columbia River Highway in the town of Westport. It is a two thirty-foot span structure and was built by the State Highway Department with State forces at a cost of $6,413.19.

Little Creek Culvert

This is a 6 by 12 reinforced concrete structure and is located on the Columbia River Highway near Knappa. It was built by the Highway Department with State forces at a cost of $929.69.

COLUMBIA COUNTY

The State Highway Department expended in Columbia County during 1917 and 1918, the sum of $488,302.15, which is the largest amount expended in any one county in the state. With this amount the following work was completed:

2.5 miles of bituminous paving.

27.2 miles of broken stone macadam.

8.2 miles of grading.

11 reinforced concrete bridges.

2 reinforced concrete box culverts.

All of this work is on the Columbia River, and all but the 2.5 miles of paving is between the Clatsop County Line and a point about two miles east of Goble.

Multnomah County Line-Scappoose Paving

A contract was awarded to the Warren Construction Company, August 22, 1917, for 2.5 miles of bitulithic pavement sixteen feet wide on crushed rock base, with two foot macadam shoulders. The old road bed on this section was in excellent condition for base for pavement being old macadam about sixteen feet in width. The grade was followed closely, scarified, and clean crushed rock spread over the entire surface and rolled. Material was borrowed along each side to obtain the required twenty-four foot of roadbed.

A sixteen foot span wooden bridge was replaced by an 8x10 feet reinforced concrete culvert built by Lindstrom Bros. on the basis of cost plus ten per cent.