Is there any other information connected with the improvement of the roads in the neighbourhood of London, which you think you could give to the Committee?—I am quite satisfied that the materials to be imported into London would make good roads, because I made two pieces of very excellent road with those materials at the two bridges, without making use of any gravel of the country.
At what time was this done?—The pieces of road were made in August and September 1817.
What was the extent?—There were about 200 yards of the one, and about 180 yards of the other; one of them joins the iron pavement at the foot of Blackfriars bridge; and the other joins the Marsh-gate turnpike, and goes to the Asylum; those roads were made with river-gravel and pebbles from the coast.
From whence did you get the river-gravel?—It was purchased from the steam-engines that raise it in the river.
Did you lift the old road?—I took up all the stones that were in them that were good for any thing, the flints and other stones, and then made use of a considerable quantity of additional materials to make the surface of the road afterwards.
Was the expense considerable?—There was no account kept of the expense of the experiment at Westminster bridge, because the commissioners wished me to employ a number of paupers and persons that had been on the road before, without discharging them, who were very indifferent hands; and they also wished that the road should be very considerably above the level than I thought necessary, and that brought much more materials than otherwise need have been put on; but the Blackfriars bridge experiment cost about seven-pence halfpenny per square yard; there was a very correct account kept of it, including the price of materials and labour, and every thing.
Could you state what that would amount to for a mile?—That would depend upon the breadth of the road.
