HAAST ROAD NEEDS IMPROVEMENTS

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30578, 22 October 1964, Page 11

HAAST ROAD NEEDS IMPROVEMENTS

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON, October 21. By the time the Haast highway is opened to traffic in a year almost £4 million will have been invested on one section of No. 6 State Highway from the National Roads Fund and the Consolidated Fund. The assistant Director of Roading (Mr D. J. B. Halley) told members of the National Roads Board this at its meeting today.

He predicted that the expected high influx of holiday traffic made it important that the planning of essential improvements on this highway between Nelson and the Haast should meet needs of traffic.

The board approved the expenditure of an additional £42,500 for widening on the Weheka hills and Mount Hercules, the work to be completed by the time the road is opened; £20,000 of this w as made available for the current financial year. The board declined a proposal to construct a 19-mile deviation between Hari Hari and Whataroa. Mr Halley reported that after an inspection which he had made, he would recommend three areas where im-

mediate improvements were essential. These were: (1) Along Dublin terrace on the Upper Buller. (2) Over the Weheka hills between the Franz Josef and the Fox glaciers. (3) A section of the road round Mount Hercules, between Hari Hari and Whataroa. Improvements to make Dublin terrace safer for traffic would begin soon. After the board’s decision to transfer funds from extension of seal between Inangahua and the Lyell efforts would be concentrated on easing the worst of the sharp narrow corners and in general widening. FORMIDABLE TASK The Weheka hills section of 11.3 miles was reported to be easily the most formidable on the highway. An item of £600,000 for Weheka hills improvements first appeared on Roads Board estimates in 1962-63. In the current programme £320,000 is shown as the cost of improving 5.8 miles, with an annual programme of £20,000. Mr Halley’ reported that on the funds provided, the massive reconstruction work needed would take many years. One contract now under way would cost £32,000 and would cover only a mile and a half. On the south end of the hills, the department has shown what can be done with a policy of moderate widening on existing alignment to give a safe two-way road. One section, of 1.7 miles, has been widened at a cost of £ll,OOO and another one mile length has been widened at a cost of £4BOO. The results are first class and the improved sections will be adequate and safe for traffic for many years, i The feasibility of adopting I such a policy over the whole i‘of the Weheka hills was dis-

cussed on the spot and the local engineers were confident that except for certain short sections, adequate improvements can be made which would cost no more than £32,500. The exceptions are a few difficult re-entrant bends where there is ample visibility and which can be safetly left one way with waiting bays at each end. The third section, over which moderate widening is necessary before the Haast road is complete is a length of some four miles round Mount Hercules between Hari Hart and Whataroa. Here the road climbs about 500 ft from the flats on either side. There is one rather steep pinch on the south side which bothers heavy trucks, but generally the section needs only moderate widening over some lengths and easing the worst corners to make it safe. This will cost £lO,OOO.