LINKED UP.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 127, 1 June 1927, Page 9

LINKED UP.

ANOTHER CONCRETE ROAD.

HIGHWAY THROUGH MOUNT

ALBERT.

TWO MILES BEING PAVED.

Mount Albert made its decision laet year to link up with the city's concreting system at Kingsland, and the main road through the borough, New North Road, is being concreted for almost two miles. Within a few months the ruts and potholes, which have made the road a reproach of Mount Albert for many years, will be a thing of the past; and the New North Road will rival the present concrete highway through Grey Lynn and Point Chevalier as an outlet to the North.

By the end of next week the work of paving the southern side will be completed from Kingsland to the tram terminus. Almost half that length is now opened for traffic, and the people are enjoying an improvement that they have been looking forward to for a long time.

Total Cost of £23,812. The total value of the work done is about £11,000. Messrs. H. Bray and Co. have the contract at a price of £23,712, which is £3240 below thiengineers estimate. Work was begun immediately after the New Year holidays and the first concrete was laid on March 14. The total length from the Kings - land Post Oflice to the tram terminus is 153 chains. At the junction with Mount Albert Road the concrete widens out to 27 feet, but for the greater part of the length it is about 15 feet, narrowing to 14 feet 3 inches at one point. The principal specification is that the concrete shall be 6 inches thick.

A fortnight ago work was begun at the Kingsland end on the northern side of the tram lines. As a preliminary to the whole undertaking the Mount Albert Borough Council lifted the 8 inch water main, which was formerly in the roadway and re-laid it in the footpath on the southern side. In addition, a new 6 inch main was laid on the northern side of the road and several cross-con-nections were made between the two mains. Gas reticulation along the New North Road was treated in the same way, the idea being to avoid breaking up the road as was done in the past. Beyond the Terminus. Footpath improvements are not included in the roading coptract. They will be carried out by the borough council, the estimate being £1828. The engineer's estimate for the complete scheme of roading, footpaths and alterations and additions to the water mains was £45,000. No estimate has been obtained for treating the three-quarters of a mile of the New North Road from the tram terminus to the borough boundary at Oakley Creek culvert. In regard to this, the Mayor Mr. L. E. Rhodes), says that he intends to advocate that the section should be undertaken after the completion of the present roading contract. The nature of the paving remains to be decided. The construction of the road will depend to some extent upon whether the City Council decides to end the tramway service along this route as far as Avon dale.

"We were very disappointed at not receiving a contribution from the Main Highways Board towards the cost of the concreting on the New North Road," said Mr. Rhodes to-day. "The Board has power under the Act to contribute up to 50 per cent of the cost, because the road ia a continuation of a main highway and is the main road running through Mount Albert."