Contractor’s Answer On Road Sealing

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30829, 14 August 1965, Page 19

Contractor’s Answer On Road Sealing

Roads must be kept in satisfactory order at all times, the Waddell Construction Company, Ltd., acknowledged in a statement to ’The Press,” "but because of the inclement weather in July this task has been extremely difficult” it said. The company’s statement was made in reply to published complaints by the Waimairi County Council to the Christchurch Drainage Board on the state of Waimairi road between Greers road and Grahams road. “We are placing a sewer in Waimairi road at an approximate depth of 13 feet,” the contractor said. “While excavating the material in this

particular area we doubted that upon its replacement it would consolidate to give a satisfactory road surface. We consulted with the Drainage Board’s engineers and they considered that the material would be satisfactory. Going ahead upon this advice, we prepared the road for sealing. However, the material did not consolidate and the work was rejected because of soft patches in the road surface. We were then authorised to re-excavate the affected areas to a depth of one foot and to fill with dry river shingle.” The area was shaded by willow trees and the surface was wet continually and cut up quickly, the company said. It aimed to keep the road suitable for traffic at the authorised speed limit. Sealing could not be done at present, the company said. The “sealing season” did not begin until September 1. As soon after that as the weather allowed the road would be sealed.