RECONSTRUCTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 6, 8 January 1934, Page 9

RECONSTRUCTION.

GREAT SOUTH ROAD.

EARLY IMPROVEMENT LIKELY. TWO INFERIOR SECTIONS. Early reconstruction and permanent surfacing of the two bad sections of tho Great South Road between Auckland and Hamilton was forecast at a special meet- . ing of the Automobile Association on ' Saturday. Urgent representations were made by the Automobile Association to the Main Highways Board, pointing c/it the dangerous nature of the road l>etween Papakura and Bombay, and from Hamilton to Te Awamutu, and between Hamilton and Ngaruawahia. Mr. A. Tyndall, engineer of the board, Mr. F. S. Dyson, district engineer of the Public Works Department, local representatives of the board, and Mr. M. H. Wynyard, motorists' member, attended the meeting on Saturday to discuss the proposals for the improvement of the bad stretches of the Great South Road. "It is five years ago this month since the Main Highways Board conferred with the association, and a five-year plan was adopted for the provision of a permanently surfaced road between Auckland and Hamilton," said Mr. Tyndall. "At the time it was stated that owing to the possible limitation of finance, the programme would in all likelihood extend to six years. The five years' period will expire next March, but within the following twelve months a good deal of extra sealing and concreting should be accomplished. The conditions on which the original arrangements were made do not exist to-day, and the lack of finance has necessitated a departure from the programme. It has been the desire of the Main Highways Board to proceed with the two sections of which " complaint was made at the' time the ' five years' plan was adopted, and as a result offers were made immediately to the two local bodies concerned. Had those offers been accepted at that time, the work would have been completed by now." Tenders Close To-morrow. Tenders which had been called for the concreting of the road from Papakura to the Pukekohe-Waiuku turn-off would close to-morrow, and in all probability the contract would be let before the end of the week, reported Mr. Dyson. The remainder of the Franklin County section of the road was to be considerably improved, and there would be a steady continuance of the earthworks on the many deviations that would be required to provide the modern standard of alignment and visability which was necessary before tar-sealing could be undertaken. The progress of this section of the scheme was limited only by finance. Tfi was expected that further tarsealing of the deviation south of Pokeno would be undertaken in the near future. Final plans for the improvement of the section through Hamilton from Ngaruawahia to Kihikihi had almost been completed. As soon as the Main Highways Board had considered the plans, together, with the estimates, the board would be in a position to indicate its approval to the Local Government Loans Board, to whom the Waipa ' County had applied for authority to take a poll to raise a loan. "The reconstruction of the 32 miles of road in the Waipa County will cost approximately £160,000, of which the Main Highways Board will provide £120,000," said Mr. Wynyard. "The share to be found by the county is only one quarter of the total cost, but this expenditure will result in the local body securing a first-class road at a total I annual cost of not more than is being paid to-day to maintain the existing highway." Improvements Imperative. "It is imperative that something should be done immediately," said Mr. F. G. Farrell, vice-president of the associa- , tion, who presided. "Not only is the dust a menace to road users, but I understand it is having a detrimental effect on the pastures and stock' near the highway." The president of the association, Mr. A. Grayson, said yesterday that he had inspected the preliminary plans for the improvement of the highway from Ngaruawahia southward, and he considered that when they were approved they would be entirely satisfactory. He was gratified at the prospect of an early j start on the concreting of the Great South Road beyond Papakura. Before the permanent surface was laid several . dangerous bends were to be eliminated.