Reading Plans In Four Counties Unchanged

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31500, 14 October 1967, Page 12

Reading Plans In Four Counties Unchanged

No alterations were made to the local authorities’ programme at this week’s meeting of the No. 13 District Roads Council, the Commissioner of Works (Mr D. B. Dallas) said yesterday. Representatives of the Kaikoura, Amuri, Waipara, and Cheviot County Councils had said they did not require more money for the next six months and would go ahead with programmes as scheduled.

State highways funds had been transferred from five items and would be spent on seven others. The amount involved was 819,256.

In his report to the council the resident engineer (Mr W. A Scott) said that work on the Kahautara bridge south of Kaikoura was proceeding satisfactorily. Two deck slabs had been poured and foundation surrounds of more than half the piers and 70 per cent of the pile-driving had been completed.

The contractors had indicated that the bridge would be completed by July, 1968. All work now completed represented 40 per cent of the total.

The council decided to ask the National Roads Board to

approve the installation of traffic lights at each end of the Waiau bridge. Traffic movement studies had established the need for a system of warning motorists when to cross the oneway bridge, Mr Dallas said. Crossing the bridge had become a problem at peak holiday periods. The plan was to install lights activated by pads so that drivers would know whether to wait or cross.

The council also decided to go ahead with a plan to provide a crawler lane approaching the railway crossing at Waikari on the eastern side. The lane is considered necessary because of the poor visibility caused by a bend in the road approaching the line.