CITY ROADS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 136, 8 June 1917, Page 4

CITY ROADS.

___CPROTrE__a_NTS PROGRESS-HQ. WORK ON NEW OUTLET. SUSPENSION NOT ENTERTAINED. The Mayor (Mr. J. H. Gunson) said this morning that although the recent wet weather had interfered with tbe work of excavation at Beach Road, the suggestion that the work should be snipended was not being entertained by the Works Committee. The present epeU of fine weather was being taken full advantage of. The work was carried on under a contract to the Harbour Board, who now bad full control of the whole of the operations. Beach Road itself, Mr. Gunsoa remarked was at present in a very bad condition, and the excavation work w»a being expedited so that the paving of this important thoroughfare could ba gone on with. The sooner the excav»tion operations were completed, tfce sooner the work would advance to the stage when the Council would be able to realise on some of the properties that had been taken over. Ifost of the oH buildings had been demolished, and tbe remainder, with the exception of the University building, which it was not proposed to touch at present, would soon be removed.

As the whole of the pipes for t-« water system had now come to hand, there was no reason at all why both excavation and street work should not be continued. The Council was not applying for exemption from military service for any of the men employed in the work* and, in any case, the workmen wetmostly over military age.

The Quay Street formation on the sits of the old engine sheds, which had been recently removed, had been retarded by the lack of shingle, which also accounted for some delay in the laying of the ne» concrete surface at Park Road, and the approach to the hospital. The present fine weather, however, would help the work considerably, and it was expected that in about three months' time thQuay Street improvements would be as far as Campbell's Point. This would open another valuable outlet, as facility would be given to traffic to travel from the terminus of Quay Street across to St. George's Bay recaimation to Parnell via St. George's Bay Road. Another road improvement mentionea by Mr. Gunson was the tarring and sanding of the whole of the area adjacent to the Grey statue. This was being don* because of tho great amount of pedestrian traffic about the Town Hall. TbWorks Committee considered that the tarring and sanding of the whole are* was better than the construction of » narrow footpath. The ibetter lighting of this area was also under consideration.