MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20415, 9 December 1931, Page 10

MAIN HIGHWAYS.

CONSTRUCTION WORK REDUCED. CANTERBURY AFFECTED. "The Main Highways Board this year will spend less than half the amount .of money on construction work that it spent two years ago, and 33 1-3 per cent, less than waa expended last year," said the Engineer to the Main Highways Board (Mr A. Tyndall) to a representative of "The Press" yesterday. "This position applies to the whole of the Dominion, and of course includes Canterbury," he added. Mr Tyndall, who arrived from Wellington yesterday, spent the day inspecting road works in various parte of North Canterbury. In the Waipara County he inspected eleven miles of paving work whieji has been done north of tho Waipara river, on the Main North road, and three miles of sealing carried out beyond the Waipara bridge, on tho road to Hanmer. In both instances he was well satisfied with what had been done. He also inspected certain works in the Waimaiti County and conferred with members of the County Council concerning them. "Good progress has been made on the Main North road near the Waimakariri bridge," said Mr Tyndall. "The concreting has been completed, but it will require to stand for some time yet for curing purposes. Tenders are being called for the laying down of a section of road between the end of the paring just referred to and the bridge itself. To enable thia to bo a minimum of inconvenience to the travelling public hot mix will be used. This material is ready for traffic the day following its being put down, whereas concrete takes about three weeks to cure." Value of Tar-Sealing. "It is likely that in the future there will be a good deal of sealing work done on the roads in the. Dominion," continued the Engineer. "This class of work is of course very much cheaper than concrete, costing as it does about £2OOO per mile, as against about £6400 per mile. Tho Main Highways Board has laid down about 500 miles of such roading in New Zealand since it commenced operations six years ago. This is the material used on the Marshland road, and it has been proved to be quite satisfactory for use away.from centres where there is a great density of traffic. As a matter of fact, there is not likely to be very much moro money spent on the more expensive type of road near the bigger centres for the reason that concrete roads arc provided for from 15 to 20 miles out of them." According to Mr Tyndall, tenders were called some time ago for constructing alternately in two classes of material the Dromore-Rakaia section of the Main South road, but the work had been held up until negotiations were completed between the Main Highways Board and the Ashburton County Council. This morning Mr Tyndall leaves for the south. He will.go as far as Dunedin, nnd en route will inspect roads in the Ashburton and Levels Counties.