Board of Works Kingston
11 April 1843
Sir,
I am directed to acquaint you that that as the season is fast approaching for the resumption of the works generally, the Board request you will give Mr. Lyons such full instructions as will enable him to furnish you, as soon as possible, with any details further than those already in your possession requisite to your submitting to the Board a specification + estimate of the cost of constructing the proposed plank Road from Rice Lake to Lake Ontario.
As the line of this road generally is, in obedience to the instructions of the Men of the Executive Council, to commence at the head of Rice Lake + terminate at Port Hope it is necessary that you should revise the estimates [?] which you have already furnished—this route being now decided upon, it is of course advisable to make the line, between the two points already slated, as direct as possible, and to follow as much of the present travelled road as you find on a comparative estimate can beneficially be done. The Board do not intend you should consider these instructions as to interfere with your judgment formed upon the examination you have already made, and such other as you deem right—but merely that as the line is now more determinate than when your survey was made, and as this survey was in some degree approved with a view of the selection of a middle line your object now is to adopt such line as far as practicable that is the shortcut, will follow the travelled line as much as possible, and outer[?] the line town in the most convenient and direct line to the Harbor.
Having decided on the line you will instruct Mr. Lyons to drive a large stake upon it, where it intersects the town line of Port Hope, from which point the road is to be considered as commencing; He will then lay it off, in 2 mile sections or thereabouts (driving a large stake at the end of each, numbered so that the public can refer to them) being governed of bourse by circumstances, but arranging the sections so that any extra excavation in a section may be dispersed of in embarkation in the same section. His estimate will be in detail stating the quantity of the respective classes of work in each section, especially, so that having revisited tenders, the Board will be able to contract with the practice for so much per section according to the specification, the amount of excavation and embankment considered extra being included so as not to require after measurements.
This is the course which the Board have adopted in all the other roads, and they have found it very satisfactory.
As it is advisable in all works under the same Department to follow a uniform system as much as possible, I am directed to send you a general specification adopted for work of this description in the outer Districts.
The intention of the Board is to have the whole of the earthwork of the River, embracing grubbing, cleaning, forming, draining, grading, fully completed against the 1st October next. The necessary culverts should also be put in Advertisements for the procuring and delivering of the plank + Seanthing[?], will be published immediately, but as the laying of it will not commence until the following spring, the estimate now required is only for the earthwork, and culverts as above.
The Council having also determined (in case the funds will permit of it) on a branch line from a point in the main line, at, is about where it intersects the 5th Con. Line to the N.W. corner of the limits of the Town of Cobourg, you will, after having made a perusal examination of the land through which it must pass, give Mr. Lyons the necessary instructions, that he may furnish similar documents first, as those already described.
The Board intend that Mr. Lyons’ attention should be confined to this road, + off branch—when the work is commenced he will report through you fortnightly, and it is considered, from the nature of the work, that no other establishment will be required.
From the many surveys, which have been made in this immediate locality, the Board are led to hope that very little further delay will be found necessary—a map of the line is out in the first instance required, nor any continuous leveling, but merely such detached levels (if any) as you may think unavoidable.
After you have procured from Mr. Lyons what is necessary to permit the Board to advertise the work, pending the time of receiving tenders, his time could be directed to mapping[?] out the map is duplicate.
I remain,
Your obedient Servant
Thomas [?]
To prevent any delays hereafter you will explain particularly to Mr. Lyons that each section is to be estimated in itself much in this manner.
Length of Sec.: m.c.h
Grubbing_____________chains @p. chain_________________
Draining, forming, grading_________chains @perch_____________ _______________cubic yards of extra excavation in such + such hills
@ per cubic yard_________________________
This price to cover the cost of depositing the excavation in such + such places as specified
____________________chains of fencing the improvements @__________________
Number of culverts in this Sec.
______________ So many of 2—in the clear @p. culvert complete
_________________________3—including exc. In future filling
_________________________4 ______________cubic ft. of timber in cills[?], bents + adjustments of Bridges in this sec: @ per cubic ft: £__________________ total[?] ft. of superstructure of Bridge @ [?]—by superstructures is meant stringent[?] on which the four planking is laid—the planking + the home [?] complete.
