The Press MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1967. The Motorway

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31501, 16 October 1967, Page 12

The Press MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1967. The Motorway

On October 22, 1947, the Minister of Works, Mr Semple, introduced to the House of Representatives an amendment to the Public Works Act. To the part of the Act dealing with roads Parliament added sections to provide for the construction and control of motorways. This new law both restricted the use of certain highways and created opportunities to develop New Zealand’s road system after a pattern well-tried in other countries but entirely new to the Dominion. Mr Semple described his bill as a “ safety “ highway measure ”. He correctly forecast that its provisions would mean much more than that and, almost for the first time in this country, scientific planning of highways became possible. On the twentieth anniversary of the introduction of that important bill many motorists from Christchurch and from further afield will put part of the Northern Motorway to its first major test on the Sunday of Labour Day week-end after a two-and-a-quarter-mile stretch is formally opened tomorrow. When the motorways bill was passed some citizens of Christchurch were already thinking of the need to plan better outlets from the city. Even more urgent work was being undertaken in Auckland and Wellington and, within a few years, Christchurch traffic was given the relief of the Cranford Street and Blenheim Road routes to the north, south, and west The Labour Day traffic jams in 1948 stimulated discussion in the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. Thoughts were at first directed towards the widening of the existing main road to the north. Mr L. K. Laugesen spoke of the need to plan for a city of 250,000 people—a population figure that Christchurch has now exceeded. Within a few weeks of its first discussion the chamber, represented by Mr Laugesen, Mr R. C. Neville, and Mr R. A. Witbrock, urged the Main Highways Board to plan a second road to the north from Chaneys to the Ashley River. Although ideas for motorways to the north and south grew clearer nearly 10 years passed before the Northern Motorway became part of the official long-term plan for reading in Canterbury. The Ministry of Works was commissioned to make its first surveys in 1957 and a long political battle among local bodies and other organisations broke out over the route of the new highway. Another Minister of Works, Mr Goosman, closed the debate dramatically in September, 1962. After weighing submissions at a meeting of local bodies he avoided any question of a vote and chose the route himself. “ That will be my decision ”, he said, “ to recommend to the National Roads Board “next week that it declare the centre line and in- “ struct the Ministry of Works to get on with the job The Ministry did that and the middle line was proclaimed in the Gazette within a fortnight. Clearing and levelling work began four months later. The huge undertaking—by far the biggest single engineering work in Canterbury—has been aided by the handy supplies of shingle from the Waimakariri River. The river was both the greatest obstruction and, perhaps, the greatest boon to the engineers. Good weather, skilful bridge builders, and a large team of cartage contractors combined with engineering skill to produce steady results. The portion of motorway open this week is only a small sample of what the undertaking will mean to motorists; nor should motorists expect too much of the new road before many more miles are opened. Some drivers will avoid the constricting Waimakariri bridge on the Main North Road and two intersections which are often sources of traffic jams. The twin highways, separated from each other, will mean much safer and more convenient driving—and they will provide another test of driving in lanes. However limited this sample of motorway may be its completion is a credit to the builders. It is an example of how the resources of the National Roads Board can be marshalled, and it is the fruition of foresight that is too seldom allowed to guide the timing and planning of major works.