IMPROVING A ROAD

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21119, 21 March 1934, Page 3

IMPROVING A ROAD

WORK ON KICCAIM'ON AYKNI K Work is progressing rapidly on (lie reconstruction of Ricearton avomie. Already -10 chains of kcrbing and f.at channelling have been done from the corner of Hagley avenue. Two-thirds of tin.- poles have been moved to the new alignment, and the v/ork relating to the Post and Telegraph Department's ducts is in hand. The road surface has been scarified over a length and several chains from the corner of Hagley avenue towards Riccarton. Diverting a Drain The Christchurrh Drainage Board had before it at its meeting last night a letter from the City Engineer (Mr A. R. (Jalbraith) Matins, with regard to the reeonstruction of Ricearton avenue, that it was understood that the board would divert W'ashbourne's drain. South Hagley Park, subject to the consent of the Christehurch Domains Board. The City Council asked that the diversion be gone on with at once. The board's works committee reported that when air inspection of the drain was made in 1032 by members of the Ricearton Borough Council, the Christehurch Domains Board, and the Christehurch Drainage Board, the Ricearton Borough Council had been informed that the board would not incur anv expense in the matter. The report of the board's engineer (Mr James Ctillens) stated that the chairman of the board (Mr 11. G. Livingstone', after inspecting the locality, had asked for an estimate of the cost of diverting the drain. The estimated cost was .£3OO on the following basis:--The length of the cut is 200 ft. the maximum rie-yh 12ft. giving a top width of about 20ft, with one-half to one batters at the deepest part of the cut. In the event of any undue erosion in the new channel it would be necessary to excavate the banks to a lesser slope than one-half to one. Mr J. W. Beanland said that the diversion of this drain was purely a labour job, and would be in the interests of the city and of Ricearton. It was desired that the work should be put in hand at the earliest possible minute. If the drain were not diverted that part of Ricearton avenue would be left very narrow. It was decided that the board would do the work provided that it was not put to any expense.