Roads and Pavements, Sampson Naval Training Station

During World War II, the design and construction of temporary access and permanent roads, walks, and paved training areas was one phase of the emergency provision for the United States Navy personnel training facilities at Sampson, N. Y., on the east shore of Seneca Lake. Unfavorable soil conditions, absence of any local suitable base or aggregate materials, limited transportation facilities into the site, and unusually severe weather conditions made necessary a flexible program. The construction methods for almost 65 lane miles of roads within 6 months, with little time for preparation, and with keen competition for labor and equipment, and yet at a reasonable cost, are recorded because of the extremely low maintenance required in 4 years of concentrated use as a training station followed by 3 years of use as a temporary college. Some of the procedures deviated considerably from previously established practice and are suggested as proper methods of design and construction for roads in fine grained plastic soil areas. Design was predicated on the availability of materials and equipment and followed the actual purchase of the materials.