PROPOSED WEST COAST ROAD.

Auckland Star, Volume IX, Issue 2608, 27 August 1878, Page 2

PROPOSED WEST COAST ROAD.

Feeders to our railways are most desirable, | and as in many parts of the country, branch _ linescannot be obtained. These feeders will \ necessarily be in the form of main trunk |? roads. Up North there has been/until . lately a notorious disregard of the hardships I endured by settlers through the non-con- b struction of good roads, but ot late.the a 'North has been favoured with a little more generous outlay, the roads having been \ attended to on-the line of route from tie •■ North through the Albertland settlements on to the East Coast. On the West Coast or Kaipara side there has, however, been \ exhibited by the authorities, gross n egligenoe;'sJ| 1 1 and settlers living at Port Albert,,Wharebine, Chalmerston, and other districts, have to go from East almost to the West Coast, over a circuitous route and broken - country. Several spasmodic efforts .have . been made by Albertland settlers to obtain s a more direct route to Auckland, but without 11----avail. When the Port Albert Government \ township was sold, upwards of £I^ooo wo* \. realised at the sale, most of the allotment* being purchased by Auckland tradesmen, . who no doubt mourn over their investment t in this isolated township on the East Coast, | which has no direct road communication. 1 with Auckland. Mr Allright H when Pro- 1 viucial Encineier, considered that s direct | ! road between Kaukapakapa and the Albert- | land settlement could be obtaiiitd, and \: had a survey made, intending himself te |i : have gone _ over the line. -The -surrey J, showed that the new route would-save at , i least ten miles of; road from Port- .Albert, | I and in addition to being shorter had the | ; important -advantage of being ever | ! uniformly .level land. This rquestion of -t j constru sting this road has again been ". i revived, and as it would form anitnmediate, | j and important feeder to the Kaipara railroad, f lit is deserving of official.'attention: | j The North Road, now in.course "of construei tioni passes through about 20,mile3' of bush j between the, open country at; Albertland ■ and the: open, country imthe* Kaukapakapa ! District. The distance between. Albert- ■ : i land and Kaukapakapa is by the presen \ road oyer.4o_ miles. .A gre'at_portion-ot j ii-this route is : over high ranges, the-road j ! making a most,vexatious detour tlutmgh |! Mahurangi, almost touching the Unst i Ii Coast. The proposed West CoaSt'WWW - avoid the objectionable features ;,,oi, Mff 1 ranges,^and unnecessarily. i! passing through open and moderatelyletef; : . ' country almost the-whole'way. ,Tt, saves ' 10' miles ot roads between Oruawharo ani § ! Kaukapakapa, thereby promising to ibe & ■ \ !immense:bodn;totraYeHers;.and,woriila oe j the more appreciated by it? being not. ow , shorter, but so much easier to trare on, and moreover, leading direct to a railway ' station.; We are informed by thos? *» have traversed the route that only 10* uuit» . of the West Coast road is absolutely ft- - f quired to be constructed to couneci Kaukapakapa with the present road: urea. This done traffic would at once how toiraru , the Kaipara railway. This 10J mdes < i road requires only the expenditure mSßgjk £2,000, as the chief works consist ot "uw ■hridges. the largest being over the w\ . | rivei" the others over the" Oraparera anj Makarau. We have to hand an excauen , [ description of the nature of tbe coun j . through .which the proposed road--wwu. j pass.' It is written by Mr Day who *J»« !: a personal inspection of the.route, unu was so favourably impressed w%'W"3ffi§^ po'rtancedf'thesameas to move, want - the Rodney County, for the sum « *J»° :• to be expended on the necessary- wwg ,Mr F. Judson has also walked from -A«er • land down this proposed route, and sii < in the highest terms of its superiority janyat present surveyed. Mr Judson g . !we leam,waited on the VifndfmsJ K . : \ [with respect to this road,, and th tfP^ ;, | !man has, consented to personally es■» into the matter with a view to deciciuik i . iitsmerits. Owners of Port Albert JW Ship allotments-may next summer, v ... r :frdiri-Auckland by rail to HelensrJw, . _ iride.overiio see ; thehv valuable .prop j« * [while Albertlahd ;aM neighbouring,*9gs- - .will be able, (if the..load he niade}.<. V 'down,to ,the-eavly;train,.and be m£ Jand by, mid-day. , Another iniß"^ B tlli3 , f to be effected "by the. construction IKftjgggS | ; proposed road is that it wii open up s^-,. of,: loodMand which js m the hands oi , _*er__meht;andp&pu^ , WonbyreaWofifeadvantageouspo^.^ x There is also .excellentnative''SgSf^WM :, it is thonght'could be acquired, Jsjgjg& - :: difficulty, and for a very modeiate ou ~