Bay Of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, SEPT. 30, 1949

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 45, 30 September 1949, Page 4

Bay Of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, SEPT. 30, 1949

MAIN HIGHWAYS Joy at the news that reconstruction work on the Edge-cumbe-Te Teko main highway is contemplated by the County Council will be somewhat dimmed by the qualification “as soon as monetary authority is received.” County negotiations with the Main Highways Board have been going on for 12 months, during which dime the road, which carries a large volume of traffic, has fallen into a disgraceful state of disrepair. No one can justly blame the County Council. It has pushed its hardest for the necessary authority but has had to wait the pleasure of officials who possibly never have to travel between Edgecumbe and Te Teko. Actually, one neds to make that trip to realise fully just how urgently necessary the contemplated repairs are. It is fully recognised by the Council that something should be done immediately to reduce the risk of damage and accident to vehicles, particularly at the Te Teko end of the road, and it is to be hoped that authority for the work will not be delayed any longer. This corner of the Bay of Plenty seems to be something of a Cinderella so far as main highways are concerned, and Whakatane’s main lines of communication in all directions are disgracefully neglected. There are at last hopeful murmerings about a new traffic bridge. There seems even a prospect that the present bridge might be retained and maintained as a subsidiary by the Borough and County while the new bridge goes near the Board Mills. Such an arrangement undoubtedly has merit, and has met with widespread local approval. But will the Government see the thing in quite the same light? Its officials are r oncerned with providing main 1 ghways between national! r • important points' and, to them, Whakatane is probably not in that class, though to us it is and we naturally regard our main highways as roads to and from Whakatane. However, it is not impossible that the official view might be so much at variance with local opinion that the town might find itself by-passed altogether. Our local bodies and the Chamber of Commerce are to be congratulated on their vigilance in this matter. Let us hope their efforts bear the desired fruit.