CANTERBURY’S HIGHWAYS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22496, 2 September 1938, Page 6

CANTERBURY’S HIGHWAYS

BIG IMPROVEMENTS MADE

NEW ROAD TO AKAROA

BEGUN

HEAVY WORK ON WEST COAST ROUTE

Many improvements are being made to the State highways, to the north, south and west, in Canterbury. Roads are being straightened and widened, gradients are being reduced, and the curvatures of many of the trickiest bends are undergoing alteration. - Nearer to the city, the biggest work is on the new highway to Akaroa, reconstruction being carried out at present between Duvauchelle and Robinson’s Bay. When work is begun on the Hilltop section a new route will be taken in various parts of the eight-mile stretch.

Approximately 200 men are engaged on improvements to the Picton-Bluff State highway north of the present terminus of the sealing just over the Omihi Saddle, 50 miles from Christchurch. A number of deviations, constituting improvement to the alignment and grade, are in hand between the saddle and Domett, and it is expected that some sections of the sealing will be carried out this coming summer. One hundred and fifteen men are working on this section. Another section which is receiving attention is that immediately north of the Conway river bridge towards Hundalee. The camp accommodates 88 men. The road is very twisty here, and a large number of sharp curves are being eliminated or improved in the work of road alignment. The narrow, badly-conditioned road over which Port Levy settlers had to travel to Purau will soon disappear. A camp has been established between Purau and Port Levy, and 22 men are engaged on the improvement.

Kepi oval of Bends -

Originally suggested as a centennial highway, the construction of the new road to Akaroa, was authorised recently by the Minister for Public Works. Work is now going ahead between Duvauchelle and Robinson’s Bay, where 40 men are camped. The plans provide for a very marked improvement in the alignment of this section, which has some very sharp curves The limit of curvature now proposed is a flye-chains radius, and will permit of quite fast travel. On the other hand, the grade is not to be improved greatly. When this section is completed, the steepest grade.will be one in 10, which is easily negotiable by modern cars. Curvature is of far more importance than gradient in road design of to-day.

New Route Proposed Extensive survey work has held up the beginning of the improvement of the section between Little River and Barry’s Bay, which involves a climb to Hilltop from both sides. From a first glance over the eight-mile section by the engineers, it would appear that in many places the new alignment of the road would depart altogether from the existing route; the work will not be a case of widening the present road and perpetuating the extremely sharp bends which are now so troublesome.

The survey investigations will have to embrace practically the section be-

tween the Hilltop and lAttle River before work can be commenced. When the Minister authorised the work to provide employment, the men sent to the Akaroa County had to be placed on the shorter section from the spur between Duvauchelle and Robinson’s Bay,* the survey of which was possible of completion in a much shorter time than that on the Hilltop section.

Sealing at Dariicld Motorists now have a bituminous road surface from Christchurch to Darfleld, a distance of 25 miles, on the Christchurch-Kumara State highway. During the winter months, the sealing was held up. The provision made on the highways estimate for the current year will not permit of a large extension of the bituminous surface during this summer.

Between Springfield and the Bcaley, a considerable number of men is engaged on the improvement of the highway. The widening at Porter’s Pass is approaching completion; 38 men are engaged there. Operations will soon move on to the west of the summit of the pass. The next scheme on the westward route is near Lake Pearson, where 21 men are employed on deviations and the improvement of widths and alignment. A new camp has been established on the west side of Paddy’s Bend, four miles east of the site of the Bealey Hotel destroyed by fire. The men will work eastward from their camp on widening the road along the cuttings m the valley of the Waimakariri river. Such places as Paddy’s Bend and Cornishmen’s Knob, which were celebrated in the coaching days for their steep' gradients and narrow road, will be greatly improved.

Bridging Progress

The new bridges across the Bruce and Cass creeks have been in use for some lime and designs are now being prepared for two other bridges—across the Craigieburn creek on the Christchurch side of Lake Pearson, and across Halpin creek, between the Waimakariri bridge at Bealey and Arthur's Pass. Good progress is being made on tire major works on the main south road. The forecast that the new vehicular traffic bridge across the Kakaia will be open by next Easter still appears to be correct, and the highway deviation and bridge building at Rangitata are also making satisfactory progress.