ROAD SEALING IN CANTERBURY

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21812, 18 June 1936, Page 8

ROAD SEALING IN CANTERBURY

FIVE YEAR PROGRAMME ADOPTED COUNTIES APPROVE PROGRESS LEAGUE’S PLANS SOME MINOR MODIFICATIONS EFFECTED A five years’ programme of road construction in Canterbury, allowing for the sealing of some 65 miles of road surface a year, was adopted yesterday at a conference of local bodies convened by the Canterbury Progress League. The programme was adopted substantially in the form published recently in “The Press,” but minor modifications were made on the representation of several county delegates. The chairman of the Progress League, Mr F. W. Johnston, presided over a good attendance. He said an endeavour had been made in the programme to fit in all the suggestions from county councils, and he thought reasonable success had been achieved. The programme was merely a tentative proposal for submission to the Highways Council, and he asked the delegates to assist in drawing up a definite scheme to which all would be agreeable. Mr J. E. Strachan, chairman of the highways committee of the league, which drafted the programme, was elected to the chair for the discussion of the details. Mr Strachan said the programme was limited, in that it did not take into account all that might happen during the next five years. The committee had confined itself, accordingly to roads that had already been declared main highways. The basis of the programme was an estimate of what finance would be available for road construction in the Canterbury district, assuming that the amount would be no less than had been allotted in depression years. When the programme was being discussed year by year several delegates expressed disappointment that reading work in their counties had been postponed until the second, third and even fourth years of the programme. Effect of Government Action Mr J. Carr (Ashburton County) said that his council was seriously concerned as the only work allotted to its territory in the first year of the programme was a length of nine miles from Hinds to the Rangitata bridge. In view of the announcement by the Minister for Public Works that he intended, to take over the whole of the PictonBluff main highway, it was to be assumed that this section would be laid down by the Government. It was •unlikely, however, that any work would be done in the first year as the road had yet to consolidate, and consequently the programme offered no work to be carried out in the Ashburton County. He suggested that the work set down for Ashburton in the second year of the programme be advanced to the first year, and so on with the later years. After other delegates had expressed views in similar strain, Mr George Maginness (Paparua County) moved that the programme be approved year by year. This course was adopted, and provisional additions were made to the list of works for each year, to be brought forward in the event of Government action removing other projects from the programme and thus leaving room for the additions within the annual total of 65 miles of reading.

Responding to a vote of thanks to the committee at the conclusion of the discussion, Mr Strachan said the Progress League was now in a position to lay a definite programme before the Main Highways Board, and the whole of the weight and influence of the league would be thrown behind the work. The Adopted Programme The following is a brief form of the adopted programme, with additional recommendations to cover the contingency of action by the Government in taking over certain main highways: First year—Picton-Bluff highway: Ashley river sections, 26 chains in all; Weka Creek Gap, 20 chains; Omihi Saddle to Friday’s Cutting, 6 miles 30 chains; Hurunui to Cheviot, 12 miles; Hinds to Rangitata river, 9 miles; Wai-para-Kaikoura highway: Weka Pass to Waikari, 4 miles 10 chains; Waikari Saddle to Karaka creek, 3 miles 24 chains: Hurunui river to Red Post, 9 miles 36 chains; Masham-Belfast highway: Masham to Belfast, 4 miles 40 chains; Christchurch-Akaroa highway: Tai Tapu to Motukarara, 4 miles 60 chains; Upper Riccarton-Arthur’s Pass highway: West Melton to Sandy Knolls road, 2 miles 20 chains; Sandy Knolls road to Kirwee, 8 miles 60 chains; Woodend Pound highway: 56 chains.

Provisional additions SockburnSouthbridge highway; Prebbleton to Springston, 6 miles; Springston to Selwyn bridge, 5 miles; Selwyn bridge to Boggy creek, 4 miles 40 chains; Kaiapoi-Waddington highway; Rangiora to Southbrook, 56 chains; Ashbur-ton-Methven highway; 17 miles 23 chains.

Second year—Picton-Bluff highway: Friday’s Cutting to Hurunui bridge, 7 miles 10 chains; Cheviot to Waiau river, 8 miles; Waikari-Waitohi highway: Hawarden to Waitohi, 4 miles 30 chains; Christchurch-Akaroa highway; Motukarara to Kaituna, 6 miles; Upper Riccarton-Arthur’s Pass highway; Kirwee to Barfield, 5 miles; SockburnSouthbridge highway: Prebbleton to Springston, 6 miles; Ashburton-Meth-ven highway; 17 miles 23 chains; Kaiapoi-Waddington highway: Rangiora to Stoke, 6 miles; Rangiora to Southbrook, 56 chains; Marshland-New Brighton Racecourse: 27 chains; Hornby-Masham highway, 1 mile 48 chains Provisional additions—AshburtonWakanui highway: 8 miles 4 chains; Ashley-Amberley highway: Ashley to Balcairn, 8 miles: Christchurch-Selwyn Huts highway: city boundary to Halswell, 2 miles 50 chains. Third year—Christchurch-Akaroa highway: Kaituna to Birdling’s Flat, 5 miles 40 chains; Little River to foot of hill, 2 miles; Akaroa County (flat portions), 3 miles; Upper RiccartonArthur’s Pass highway: Barfield to Springfield, 14 miles 16 chains; Cash-mere-Heathcote via Hills road: completing gaps, 2 miles 52 chains; Kaia-poi-Waddington highway; Stoke to Bennett’s boundary, 8 miles 40 chains; Sockburn - Southbridge highway: Springston to Selwyn bridge, 5 miles; Selwyn bridge to Boggy creek, 4 miles 40 chains; Ashburton-Wakanui highway, 8 miles 4 chains; Ashley-Amber-ley highway: Ashley to Balcairn, 8 miles; Leithfield Beach highway; 75 chains. Provisional additions—SockburnSouthbridge highway: Leeston to Southbridge, 4 miles 34 chains; Tin-wald-Longbeach highway: 11 miles 12 chains; Tinwald-Mayfield highway: 17 miles 40 chains. Fourth year—Christchurch-Gover-nor!s Bay-Lyttelton highway: “Sign of the Kiwi” to Corsair Bay, 6 miles; Christchurch-Motukarara highway: Governor’s Bay to Teddington, 5 miles 52 chains; Tinwald-Longbeach highway: 11 miles 12 chains; Tinwald-May-kfield highway* 17 miles 40 chains;. Soc-

burn-Southbridge highway: Leeston to Southbridge, 4 miles 34 chains; Waimakariri bridge-Mandeville highway: 10 miles; Christchurch-Selwyn Huts highway: city boundary to Halswell, 2 miles 50 chains; Ashley-Amberley highway: Balcairn to Amberley, 6 miles 60 chains; Kaiapoi-Waddington highway: Bennett’s to West Oxford, 6 miles 20 chains. Provisional addition—Rakaia-Alford Forest highway: Rakaia to Methven, 21 miles 60 chains. Fifth year—Waimakariri bridgeMandeville highway: Mandwille to Bennett’s, 9 miles; Hawarden-Heath-stock highway; Hawarden to Woodgrove, 3 miles 40 chains; Hawarden to Horsley Downs, 2 miles 60 chains; Hornby-Springston highway: 8 miles; Rakaia-Alford Forest highway: Rakaia to Methven, 21 miles 60 chains; Tin-wald-Mayfield highway; 11 miles 22 chains; Waikuku Beach highway: 2 miles 20 chains; Kaiapoi Beach highway: 1 mile 76 chains; ChristchurchSelwyn Huts highway: Lincoln College jto Selwya Hut%. S miles 40 chains.