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roads. The sunken corridors were a novel concept in American roadway design, and some observers predict- ed problems with erosion and ﬂood- ing. Undeterred, Grant and Pieper devised practical techniques for build- ing roads that would endure. Work- ers laid a foundation of rectangular stones at a depth of 7 to 8 in., and this was followed by a 5 in. intermediate layer of smaller stones. On top, pav- ing teams placed a 1.5 in. layer of ﬁne gravel mixed with sand and loam. Fi- nally, they used a horse-drawn cyl- inder weighing 6.5 tons to roll and compact the gravel. The roads were typically 40 ft wide, including 6.5 ft wide sidewalks on each side. Gutters were installed along the curbs to cap- ture storm water. The construction of the park went smoothly, but costs quickly exceeded the original estimates. By the sum- mer of 1860, accusations of misman- agement had prompted the state sen- ate to launch an investigation. The investigating committee interviewed more than 50 witnesses, some of whom reported errors, inefﬁciencies, and political patronage. An indepen- dent assessment by the Swiss engineer Julius Kellersberger, however, seems to have carried the most weight. Noting the high quality of the park’s workmanship, Kellersberger proclaimed the project a suc- cess. In its concluding report, the commit- tee agreed, and the board of commissioners was exonerated. Nevertheless, in June 1861 the board relieved Olmsted of most of his administrative duties and handed them to Andrew H. Green, a commissioner who paid close attention to every expense. When Green took over, the construc- tion effort was already past its peak. By the end of 1863, most of the park was open for walks, carriage drives, and other activities. Some 240,000 trees and shrubs had been planted, and laborers were building a low stone wall along the perimeter. The next task was to incorporate the rugged land between 106th and 110th streets that had been added to the northern end of the park, increasing its total area to 843 acres. Famous for its natural beauty and its contribution to New Yorkers’ quality of life, Central Park stands as an achievement of both landscape architecture and civil engineering. —JEFF L. BROWN Jeff L. Brown is a contributing editor to Civil Engineering. JANUARY 2013 Civil Engineering [43 ] Brown Despite their aesthetic preference for naturalism, Olmsted and Vaux believed a grand, tree-lined promenade was essential to a major metropolitan park. The Mall, pictured here at the beginning of the 20th century, stands in contrast to the narrower, less formal pathways that wind through much of the park. Egbert L. Viele, Central Park’s ﬁrst chief engineer, executed a detailed topographi- cal survey of the site. He went on to serve as an ofﬁcer in the Union army and a U.S. representative from the state of New York.