CONCRETE MOTORWAY.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16408, 31 December 1918, Page 7

CONCRETE MOTORWAY.

10 THE EDITOR O* "THB WUESS."

Sir, —The business motorist, comprising the commercial man and the farmer, probably nowadays outnumbers thejnere excursionist, and his claims to attention from the Public Works Department cannot much longer bo postponod.

If this statement is accepted it will become of interest to the strong men of Canterbury through its immediate application to a practical issue—the main South road, Christchurch to Ashburton. The railway has put an end to the vohicular traffic of old days on this road, but it ha s evidently not satisfied the needs of business, and the road has become practically a motorists' road. If this position is accepted then shingle, however excellent, must be ruled out of court at once as a materialfor repair. But your valuable space must not be used for mere abuse of the rolling shingle on # the ChristchurcliAshburton road. It is just one of those things that should not be tolerated oy rational beings. _ . A concrete motorway is required and it will be a useful first step if a large number of readers will co-operate to obtain as much information as possible relative to such works. The outstanding local features, that will of course not bo dealt with in tlio engineering literature of concrete roads, are of a highly favourable nature. The available material, and the ground or foundation or sub-base, are unsurpassable. The site is throughout on the unlimited shingle deposits of the Kakaia and the Waimakarin, and, except a negligibly short strotch about the Selwyn, is "dry as a bone, while gravel for a lasting concrete is available on the spot or at a practicable distance bv waggon or rail. . It will hardly be denied that proposals for concrete roads on the Canterbury Plains are born under happy stars, and it is to be hoped that the ChristchurchAshburton proposal will find a place on tho list of plans put forward for the betterment of tho old province, lours, ° tC '' JAS. R. WILKINSON. Loburn, December 28th, 1918.