Expressway work to finish before Fendalton Road plan

Press, 3 July 1985, Page 8

Expressway work to finish before Fendalton Road plan

Although the improvement of Fendalton Road has been accorded higher priority than construction of the Northcote expressway, the expressway will be finished first. The Waimairi District Council’s works, reserves and traffic committee recommended last evening that the council proceed simultaneously with preparations for Fendalton Road and with the next stage of the expressway. The first section of the Northcote expressway, from Innes Road to Marshland Road, was officially opened yesterday. When complete the expressway will carry through traffic from Burwood Road to Winters Road. The next stage in the expressway is the stretch from Marshland Road to Burwood Road. Preparations this financial year include property purchase, Completing the design of the section of road near Lakewood Drive, -and applications for the apSjlfo-

priate loans. The cost is estimated at $1.7 million, of which $1 million is construction and the rest property purchase. Construction is expected to start next financial year and should finish by March 31, 1988. A time for the final stage has not yet been proposed by the council. In comparison, preparations for the improvement and widening of Fendalton Road focus on property purchase, surveying, and the design plan over the next three years. The recommendation that funds to be set aside for further property purchase will be referred to the council’s finance and policy committee. The committee also recommended that a timeflow chart be drawn up to give the council and- residents a tangible idea of how long the work would take once loan approval is granted. The District Chairman,

Mrs Margaret Murray, said the first step in such a chart would be when the money was available. “That could be some time.” Contrary to past reports, the proposed widening of Fendalton Road has come under criticism in the District Scheme Review. The Christchurch Civic Trust has objected to the widening as outlined in the review because it is concerned that the proposal “takes no regard to the character and features at specific parts of the present street. Wholesale destruction is suggested.” The trust has sought alterations to the scheme in the form of more consideration of existing trees, buildings, and other features in determining the proposed street-widening. The Association of Fendalton Residents has lodged a cross-objection in support of the trust’s'objection. The committee recommended that setting a date for the* hearing of those objections to the District

Scheme Review be given priority. Hot water Bishopdale residents will soon be unable to blame the failure of their hot-water cylinders on the quality of Waimairi’s water. Within the financial year their water will be treated in the same way as the rest of the district’s water supply — with caustic soda. This reduces any corrosive effect of the water on pipes and hot-water cylinders. A Bishopdale resident, Mr H. C. Foster, told the council last evening that since he moved to the district in 1980, two hot-water cylinders had failed, the first after 18 months and its replacement after 32 months. His plumber blamed the failures on the condition of the district’s water, he said. Mr Foster has since spoken to the council, cylinder manufacturers, the Coppersmiths’ Guild, and hundreds of residents. F

It appeared that in areas where the water was treated (the council began treatment in 1967) cylinder failure was low compared with pockets such as Bishopdale and Burnside with untreated water. According to a report of the council’s waterworks engineer, Mr R. E. Young, the average life of cylinders in Waimairi — 18 years — was comparable with the national average. The addition of caustic soda had dramatically reduced the corrosion. However, water was not necessarily the cause of cylinder failure. A spokesman for the Coppersmiths’ Guild said that all hot-water cylinders were guaranteed for two years, although not for failure from corrosion caused by water. After long, heated discussion about the cylinders and corrosion, the council was told that this year’s estimates include treating the Bishopdale water supply.