IMPROVING THE GREAT NORTH ROAD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 184, 3 August 1908, Page 3

IMPROVING THE GREAT NORTH ROAD.

The money spent by the various local bodies interested in the improvement of the Great North-road has already made I a marked alteration to the grade at Arch Hill, and the contractor is making a gfood show with the extension of the J work to Edgecumbe"s Creek. The first section of the work has made the ascent of Arch Hill from the Chinese gardens, a much easier task for horaes or pedestrians, it beinjr now one gTadual ! grade the whole distance, and in no case iis rt a 9harp rise. The extension now in I hand is from, the Chinese gardens, past the Western Springs, to Edgecumbe's ' Creek. All alons the fla/c the roadway has I been raised, and at Miola Creek a large I concrete culvert is now being , constructed. From there on. men are employed, cut- ! ting down and levelling , the old switchback piece of road in front of the pumping station. In some cases solid rock is i being , blasted out for a depth of about 10ft. and the spoil is being used to build a. roadway in tie hollow 3. Wlren. the work is completed it will mean, an almost level road right on to the next creek, where another large culvert is being put in, and the roadway raised, which will considerably reduce the rise to the mental hospital. Owing to the Government holding so much property in the district, on which no rates are paid to the local body, the representations of the Hon. George Fo-wlds and Mr. John J Bollard resulted in substantials subsidies being granted to supplement the amount contributed by the various local bodies for this important work. The completion of this work, together with the construction of the G-rafton Bridge, should make Kara.ngahape-road and the portion of the Great Xorth-road to the present tram terminus at Grey Lynn a great business centre in the near future, and the alteration of the grade at Arch Hill ought to have a grea/t bearing on the development of the Point Chevalier district, as it will encoxirage people to go out that way to reside, whereas in the past the steep rise from the Chinese gardens effectually , blocked the extension of building 3in that direction.