“PORTABLE ROAD"

Evening Star, Issue 20510, 14 June 1930, Page 15

“PORTABLE ROAD"

NEW DEVICE HIGHWAY MAY BE STORED. 'LONDON, May 23.. A number of local authorities will shortly experiment with a new type of portable road which may revolutionise road repair work and greatly reduce traffic blocks. The detachable highway is the invention of Mr H. C. Fitton, an engineer who has studied road construction in most countries of the world. It may make the noisy automatic road drill obsolete, and is designed to obviate the cost and chaos of constantly breaking up and remiiking the existing solid type of highways to meet the requirements of electric light, gas, water, drainage, post office, and other authorities. Tho now highway will. consist oi blocks of material about 4ft in length which fit into each other like a jig-saw puzzle, and are capable of withstanding the stresses set up by modern traffic. LIKE A CARPET. It is claimed that the blocks can bo made of most of tho existing road making materials, and can be brought straight from the factory and laid down like a carpet. , , They can then he lilted up and put in store while work is done beneath the road surface. The road does not need rebuilding when the work is completed. Tho blocks aro brought back and easily relaid. , . , Storing, a road away in. a warehouse is ;t novel idea, but, according to Mr Fitton, it is quite possible under his stores with bits of road neatly labelled. “ Fifty . yards of the Brighton road,” or “A bit of the Portsmouth road,” aro a possibility of tho future. . Highway engineers arc snowing considerable Interest in the idea.