CHANGES IN HIGHWAYS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30092, 28 March 1963, Page 11

CHANGES IN HIGHWAYS

Views Of Mr A. G. Begg The development of roadtnoking marffiinery and increased traffic demands have major changes in the design and construction techniques for modern highways, says Mr A. G. Beew retiring chief highways engineer to the Ministry of Works. For the last four years Mr Begg has been responsible for construction and maintenance standards on 7000 miles of the New Zealand State highways system. "When I. first started on highway work with the department in 1926 the aim of the Main Highways Board was to provide an all-weather highway network throughout New Zealand,” said Mr Begg. “Now the- National Roads Board places emphasis on a system of dust-free, paved highways. This has meant more attention to the design

of pavements and foundations, to ensure sufficient strength to cope with modern traffic demands. * ‘The phenomenal growth of motor traffic has meant congestion on the highways leading into and through the main centres of population, and solving this problem is the board’s principal concern today,” he said. “In and around the urban areas there is a continually increasing demand tor multilane motorways and roads adequate' tor heavy traffic. These involve complex design and more construction problems than on rural highways. “In bridging, another important item in present-day programming, the board faces the renewal, in permanent materials and on better alignment, of many timber structures erected 50 to 80 years ago,” Mr Begg said.