Counties' Biggest Problem Today Is The Proposed New Classification Of Roads

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 14964, 30 April 1949, Page 3

Counties' Biggest Problem Today Is The Proposed New Classification Of Roads

o FNGINEER’S REVIEW OF QUESTION TO TAURANGA COUNCIL “This is one of the biggest problems facing counties today” said the engineer, Mr N. G. Hansen, in presenting a sport to the Tauranga County Council this week on the pror.cssd new classifications of roads. T w gj s recommendations, as outlined below, were agreed to bv the Council after the engineer had dealt exhaustively with i. e ach aspect of the problem. A letter from the New Zealand Counties’ Association nested Tauranga Council to forward its comments as Lrly as possible to enable the Association to present a repre--1 sentative view of the question to the Commissioner of Transport In stressing the need for urgency it was pointed out that I jjj e jfljn Highways Board had already agreed to the proposals.

I Tf had been explained by the Lvrmissioncr of Transport, said the Sneer, that the weight restrictions ,Z n roads were last revised in ' Q 7n in more recent years there ‘ Yd been requests from both the Sing authorities and the motor iJade for a review of the limits now 111 ting. A ccnlerence of interested nrties was held in Wellington to SScuss the whole question in August list year and subsequent discuscinns—mainly dealing with the tech- : ‘Li angles of the question—had !lL n place between the Transport j neoaPtment and the Mam Highways I n o a r d The proposals now put for- i v-ard had been discussed with the i M Highways Board which con- | curred in them so far as it was ! affected. Three Clastes Of Roads The proposals envisaged only three classes of road. Class One con esponded to the present unclassified loading but also provided for a maximum load of eight tons and across load of 30 tons on a multiiaxled unit or combination. ' Class Two limited axle leading 1(0 6-'. "tons on two axled vehicles, to l s j x tons on units of more than two j Haxles but to five tons where the | Basics are closely spaced. The maxi - j I mum gross load for any combination | l tm a Class Two road would be 23 j °on Class Three the maximum axle | ( .ad would be five tons in the. case of c two-axled vehicle or where the aides arc spaced eight feet or more apart and 31 tons where axles arc more closely spaced. No vehicle combination on this class of road would be permitted to exceed 16 tons gross weight. The present elassmcation of Class Five has been applied only to about lour per cent of the rural road mileage and the new proposals do not perpetuate the restrictive loading o£ such a class. Meting Trends Of Today II the proposals are put into effect the Commissioner considered that all existing classifications should be revoked by the amendment to the regulations; but provision would be I made for the amendment to take I effect say two months from date of I gazetting. I He felt that the proposals went I a long way to meet the vehicle I trend of today and to provide for I economic transport and at the f same time to give adequate proI tcction to the road surfaces. 1 The Commissioner had explained ■ that road controlling authorities j would retain their powers to close roads or to apply special restrictions in the case of roads which might : need further protection from heavy loads during the winter or under adverse climatic conditions. The new classifications would in no way affect special bridge loading restrictions. The Transport Department, he said, would strictly enforce the : weight restrictions of the classifica- | tion except where permits to exceed | these limits, issued only by the road controlling authority, are carried, I and every effort is being made by the Department to secure additional : vehicle-weighing machines. All Roads Now Class IV "At present ail county roads are Class IV and the Senior Engineer, ■ Public Works Department, Tauranga, has told me that all highways in the county are also Class IV. This means that the axle load limits are 4 tons per- axle for 2-axle vehicles and 31 tons for multi-axle vehicles,” said Mr Hansen in com- , meriting cn the proposals. “The lowest of the proposed new ! classification allows five tons per axle lor two-axle vehicles or spaced multi-axles; and 3i tons per axle { for tandem axles, and a gross load limit of *l6 tons. However, no prese- ■ cution is likely to be made unless | the load per axle is at least a g ton , in excess of the glassification, therefore the loads will be at least \ ton more than stated in each case. “It is well known that the present load limits are being exceeded, continued the engineer, “and the vehicles are capable of canwing the loads set out under Class 111 of the proposed new classification. It would therefore, appear to be rational and realistic to agree to the proposed re-classification. However, the council is not in a position to agree to the higher 3 • id limits, be : cause the county roads cannot bebuilt or maintained to carry existmg loads with the funds available. “The council have agreed t° Mrply for authority to spend approximately £217,000 of man and subsidy money to improve and strengthen some of the roads under its control. To do the same Vail its roads would cost something like £400,000 —after which the roads would probably be capable of carrying the proposed new loads. “If heavier loads are allowed the ratepayer should obtain cheaper transport than if loads are kept low—but this small saving is out-, balanced by the greater increased cost to build and maintain a better k class of road. “The fact is that this county cannot finance the present load limits, much less can it finance any increases loads. The rural ratepayer i" already overburdened with road faxes and the development of county toads will not advance until some more equitable form of read taxahon is adopted.” Engineer’s Recommendations After reviewing the problem the engineer made the following recommendations which were accepted by be council after a brief discussion: • A general increase in axle loadmg is not favoured—nor can it be Where is a General improvement n the carrying capacity of road surfaces. roads and bridges are not long enough to carry the minimum L-°P ose d load. Weak roads and „ mges should be strengthened bey any increase in load is allowed. i Ve t 11 cles with spaced axles are dpn dama § in S fban those with tnnroads ax^es ’ especially on sealed frpiof, econom ics of an increase in strint j ? ha rges cn account of reconef. l oa ds, versus the cost of reI’oari lUC^ . an h strengtheningfull s ar, d bridges, should be (-arena,; oxa mined mom th n rural rat'’-. frpioL vie wPoint. The present “nt rates were based on smaller

over-all loads than are now being carried. Rigid enforcement is necessary in the event of the Transport Department introducing new regulations, but with one class of State Highway traversing a county with lower class side reads, there is certain to be overloading on the side roads. Inspectors cannot possibly keep a check on all roads. Severer Penalties The penalty for overloading and speeding should he more severe. Consistent offenders should suffer the cancellation of their licence. Road classification should not have a Dominion coverage, but could be app ied regionally or even by individual counties in some cases. Reading authorities when considering the proposed new classification 111 should realise that no prosecution for overloading is likely to be made unless the load per axle is at least quarter of a ton in excess of the regulation weight, which in effect, means that all loading is up quarter of a ton on the weights scheduled in the regulations. The aim of every county council and county engineer is to provide better roads, but rural ratepayers are already overburdened with road taxes. It is felt that the existing methods of financing roads will always restrict rural read development. Probably some method such as the Federal Aid Project in the U.S.A. would be an improvement. A committee of road makers and road users etc. should be set up to collect and sift evidence and bring down recommendations: As to an interim policy lo be followed until roads and bridges can be improved and strengthened: as to the programme and methods of financing a road and bridges improvement and strengthening scheme. Such a committee could include representatives from transport, Automobile, Counties and Municipal Associations. Main Highways Board, Transport, Mines and Forestry Departments, Ministry of Works and other interested bodies. “We ore up against a very vicious problem,” .said the chairman. Mr H. B. Capamagian. “Wo are forced to try and get our roads up to a higher c’assificafion. Some of our roads are not fit to carry the loads that are on them now. “Is if the loads rr the volume of traffic?” asked Cr G. D. Vercoe. The .engineer explained that while loose metal was swept away by fast traffic this could be replaced bv graders. It was the heavy traffic which punched through to the clay. “Wc arc fighting a losing battle,” added Mr Hansen. ________