CALL FG COMING NEXT ISSUE Traditionally, the November—December Issue ~F California Highways and Public Works Magazine Will Be the Annual Report Issue
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CALL FG COMING NEXT ISSUE Traditionally, the November—December issue ~f California Highways and Public Works Magazine will be the annual report issue. ~~~~r ~,, ~ ~ ~,. CALIFORNIA highways and public works. OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS STATE OF CALIFORNIA VOLUME 45 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1966 NOS 9-10 AN ENGINEER LOO}SS AT AESTHETICS 2 By Louis G. Kroeck john c. robinson, EditoY FROM THE DESK OF R. J. DATEL ~ O Stewart mitchell, Maz2aging Editov By Robert J. Datel bill metzel, Art Director WYHAT'S lJP—IN THE AIR? 12 William r. Chaney, Chief Plaotogvaphe~' By Eric P. Grant LONG BEACH ~ S l~ditors are invited to use information contained herein and to request prints of any black and ~~'hite photographs. FIRST FLIGHT PAVING JOB 26 By Charles F. Gustafson Address communications to BOB NANCE, INFORMATION OFFICER SIMI VALLEY FREEWAY ~O CALIFORNIA HIGHWAYS AND PUBLIC WORKS By Charles F. Gustafson P.O. BOX 1499 SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA 95807 JOHNNY LUPINESEED 36 ~ By Marcia J. Mickelsen BRIDGE DESIGN AWARDS 38 HIGHWAY GOMM15510NER JAMES A. GUTHRIE DIES 4O WELL DONE 42 NEW USE OF SPACE 43 By Howard Smith BYLINES 44 Front cover: Car and boat on trailer on ramp, with city skyline in distance, symbolizes the mixture of recreation and urban development in the city of Long Beach. See story on page 18. Photo by Sam Smith, District 7 Headquarters, Los Angeles. Back cover: Scene is view from Highway 395, Conway Summit, just north of Mono Lake, looking toward the High Sierra, through magnificent groves of aspens in this vicinity. Photo by John Meyerpeter, Headquarters Photo Lab. "An outstanding network of state highways is essential to the future growth of California's economy" —Gover~aor Edmund G. Brown 3 ~' g °9 A Louis G. Kroeck Fancy phrases will not get the job of the mud"—is well behind us. Our ple iri the past have questioned this done! "Yield to the environmental newer roads are sophisticated in all re- noble endeavor. The vast majority in needs of our community soul," or spects except perhaps for their appear- past years have envisioned the highway "Understanding the psychology of the ance. Now that the foundations of a engineer as a hero in getting traffic onto fashions of our great society," may be basic highway transportation network pavement and across rivers. fine for Sunday afternoon reading, but have been laid, the public is beginning Times are changing and engineers they are of little help to an engineer to expect some amenities from the gas must keep up with this change. Hope- who works with specifics. Although tax dollar. An all-weather surface and fully, there will be some additions deeply concerned about the "soul" of adequate traffic interchanges are no to the curricula of our engineering a community, he can find little in the longer amenities but something the schools. Schools of architecture have way of constructive advice in these public expects with each highway proj- long required their students to be well phrases that he can apply directly to ect. The engineer is left to grope for versed in structural design as well as his projects. He asks, "What specifi- some reasonable balance between func- aesthetics. Engineering education could cally can I do to enhance the appear- tion, cost, and aesthetics. well benefit from a focus in the field of ance of my project?" Today the engineer is in an enviable balance, form, and texture. Engineers have long recognized that position. He now has the skill and re- Our engineering schools, being sen- public acceptance is the key to success sources to shape a new environment. sitive to the changing needs, can and of the highway program. They are also He must also accept the responsibility will meet the challenge. Any change in well aware of the popular movement of recognizing the qualities that make the academic program, however, will for more beautiful highways. It is dif~i- one environment different from an- be slow in producing results, due to the cult, however,for an engineer to rapid- other. inherent time lag" of education. An im- ly change his approach after so many There is no doubt that superb works mediate educational program is there- years of trying to stretch the limited have been created by engineers. Engi- fore necessary for the engineers al- funds in order to keep ahead of the ex- neers have also made their mistakes. ready in the field. The Division of panding traffic problem. The engi- One of the problems is that engineers Highways is meeting its share of the neer's approach is a realistic one based have sometimes taken a narrower view problem head-on. A training program on the knowledge of cost and traffic of the work than the highway user or is well underway at the time of this needs. There was a time when the viewer. writing. This program is only the be- major job was to pave our unimproved The highway engineer's primary ginning. Each highway district hope- road network as rapidly as possible. concern is moving traffic in as safe and fully will carry on a training program This phase of our work—"getting out economical way as possible. Few peo- on a continuing basis. Good highway design includes rounded cuts, attractive signs, and open vistas to add interest for the traveler. 1Vlotivation is not the primary prob- 'not be limited to the scenic high- lern. Engineers in Planning,Design, and waysystem but should encompass Construction have always been atten- all highways in the district. tive to the appearance of their projects. 2. On the district level the commit- However,the majority o~f highway en- tee shauId concern itself initially gineers and technicians need to be told with details both in design and specifically what part they can plan in construction since it appeared this beautification movement. The im- that the sum of the details will mediate program dealing with specific show results in the shortest possi- details reaps quick results in public ble time. acceptance. Along-range educational 3. The second phase of our studies program, however, will be required in should encompass the long-range building of another dimension to add planning aspects of route selec- to function and economy—aesthetics. tion. District 10 has been quick to recog- task was to evaluate our nize the problem and the needs. The 4. The first both by obser- first action by the district engineer, J. present highways and by study of available G. Meyer, was to appoint a "scenic vation highway committee." The committee material. "WHAT SPECIFICALLY was composed of representatives at the 5. Prepare and execute some kind of CAN I DO senior level from Maintenance, Con- educational program within the TO ENHANCE struction, Traffic, Right of Way, and district based on our evaluation of the Design Departments. The commit- existing highways. THE APPEARANCE tee was given complete freedom to 6. Prepare some type of standard OF MY PROJECT?" formulate its own method of operation, and guidelines for all departments. responsibilities, and limitations. The following general guidelines As a method of operation to evaluate our existing highways, the committee were formulated after the first meeting has made a field trip once a month to of the committee: study, discuss, and photograph both 1. The committee's activities should good and poor details. The collection of color slides resulting from these trips is used by the committee for further office study. The slides will have ILLUSTRATIONS BY LOU BAKER addi- tional use in our proposed educational program within the district. The mere existence of the committee has helped to stimulate others in being more criti- cal of their past work. This has been evident in every department. The committee has been in existence for only two years, but the results are already evident. Its first efforts were directed toward projects under con- struction. Almost everyone was eager to cooperate. Although the changes made during construction on the vari- ous projects were within the project fiscal allotment, the end product in some cases was beyond expectation and served to point out that in this field of aesthetics much can be done at small cast. Let's step back and take a quick look at a few of the details District 10 has considered as a starting point for a long-range program in our attempt to improve our highways from an aes- thetic standpoint: Fit fhe Environment In a rural area this means that, re- gardless of the height of cuts or fills, the natural ground should appear to begin at the edge of the shoulder, not at the right-of-way line. If the highway is built on flat land, the slopes should be flat. Ditches should be nonexistent or at least with very flat slopes. In roll- ing• country the slopes should roll and warp. The cuts and fills should appear as part of the country, not as part of the roadway. In rugged steep terrain the cuts should be rugged and steep. On realignment, old paving, unsightly structures, This philosophy is not., without its and unnecessary piles of dirt should be cleared problems and its conflicts. In a forest away, the ground smoothed, and return area should the cuts be held steep to of natural growth of trees and shrubs encouraged. save trees, or should additional trees be taken to •flatten and round the slope? Instead of sharp cuts, slopes should be rounded to eliminate tunnel e,~'ect and to fit slopes into natural contours. In general, the slopes should be flat- tened and rounded.