Roads Board gives highway allocation

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34009, 25 November 1975, Page 23

Roads Board gives highway allocation

U row Our Oun Reporter) WELLINGTON. The National Roads Board has approved the detailed distribution of its revised budget for highways—S2.B million more than the $58.30 mihion estimated for the 1975-76 year. The West Coast has been the biggest single beneficiary of all 18 road disi.o’ cts * n N ew Zealand with $300,000 approved in October and $83,000 in November. Nelson-Marlborough received $30,000 in November. North Canterbury nothing, Central Canterbury $54,000 in November, and South Canterbury $150,000 in Octo ber. Nelson-Marlborough received $30,000 of the $45,000 ii asked for to avoid slowing the rate of progress on the construction of the new Matakitaki bridge on State Highway 6. It received nothing on its requests for Saxtons Road intersection <$6000), Grove Road ($3000). Shenandoah ($15,000) and Rocks Road-Haven Road ($15,000). A supplementary allocation of $333,000 was made to balance the West Coast’s balance schedule and to allow the planned rate of progress on the Buller River bridge to continue. The Director of Roadmg of the Ministry of Works IMr F. A. Langbein) said that the Buller bridge was going faster than planned and “this is causing us some financial embarrassment.” ' However. the acting Chairman of the Board (Mr J. S. Thorn) said that the West Coast had got more than any other area and — Bearing in mind that some districts had received nothing — the West Coast would lave to be satisfied with what the Board could give. The West Coast also reteived the entire $38,000 it tsked for the Casolis bridge project, and $12,000 of the 150,000 it had sought for the Stillwater bridge. It received nothing for the Cobden bridge approaches ($33,000). Charleston - Punakaiki $60,000), Big Totara bridge i$40,000) and Gibbs bridge ($20,000). North Canterbury sought, and received, no extra {rants. Central Canterbury re-

ceived the $22,000 it asked for the Bealey Avenue reconstructions and the $32,000 it sought for the motorway at Lincoln RoadAnnex Road, so that motorway work, which had been reduced because of increased maintenance requirements, could be reinstated. It received nothing for the Curletts Road over-bridge ($18,000), Wairiri-Glenroy sealing extension ($26,000) and motorway property maintenance ($10,000). Substantially increased maintenance requirements

. had forced South Canterbury to curtail its bridging programme severely, but the Board approved the $38,000 asked for the Waitaki bridges, the $31,000 sought for the Whale-Twins sections of Highway 80. and : $Bl,OOO of the $90.0001 .sought for the Jacks-Whale ; section. No grants were made for' Dover Pass-Pukaki 540,000),i ' Rangitata bridge ($82,000), j Upper Waihi bridge’ ($36,600), Grassy Hills ($5000) or the Hinds intersection ($1000).