On unpaved streets cross ings are laid to keep pedestrians out of the mud, and on rough stone block pavements crossings are constructed to provide a smooth surface which is more pleasant to walk upon and also more easily cleaned than the carriage-way pavement; but on streets paved with a smooth hard surface which is easily cleaned, as brick, special foot-way crossings are not necessary, except to aid pedestrians in crossing the water in the gutters. To confine the water in the gutter, it is customary to raise the pavement in the line of the crossing so that the surface is level, or nearly so, from the crown of the carriage-way pavement to the curb, leaving a channel next to the curb which is either left open or bridged with a cast-iron plate. Fig. 153, page 600, shows the details of an elevated brick crossing. Notice that Fig. 153 has a limestone curb and a brick gutter. Fig. 154 and 155, page 600, show the gutter at the end of an elevated brick crossing when a concrete curb and gutter is employed. The chief difference between Fig. 154 and 155 is in the form of the false curb or head stone on the side of the gutter toward the center of the street. The difference in the merits of the two methods is mainly in the cost, Fig. 154 usually being slightly the cheaper.
In both cases there is a drop of 1 inch in the width of the cast-iron bridge plate. Of course, the crossing could be carried level from gutter to gutter, or more drop could be put into the gutter plate.
As far as the use of the carriage-way pavement is concerned, an elevated crossing is undesirable, particularly where the pave ment is used by a large number of vehicles or where there is oon siderable rapid traffic; but elevated crossings are a necessity where a considerable volume of water is brought to a corner catch-basin or where the street is nearly level longitudinally. Some of the
disadvantages of an elevated crossing are eliminated by placing a catch-basin at each side of the corner instead of one at the corner —see § 507.
It has been proposed to cast the street names on the bridge plates used at elevated crossings. This can be done at a compara tively small cost, and would put the street name in a convenient place for pedestrians; but unfortunately these plates frequently get broken, and further the name on the crossing plate would not be visible from vehicles and street cars.
The price of bricks suitable for sidewalks is usually from $7.00 to $9.00 per thousand. Table 51, page 518, shows the number of bricks required to lay a square yard. The cost of the earthwork will vary with the character of the soil and the depth of the excavation. The cost of labor in placing the sand cushion and laying the brick, varies from 4 to 4i cents per square yard.
The following is the actual cost of half a mile of 6-foot brick walk laid by contract in a city in Central Illinois: Merits and Defects. Brick sidewalks are cheap, fairly, smooth, and not slippery; and if made of hard brick are dry in damp weather and durable under very heavy travel. Their defects are : (1) they are rough in comparison with asphalt, cement. and the best stone slabs; (2) they are untidy, since grass and weeds are likely to grow in the joints.