BITUMEN PAVEMENT

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 122, 8 February 1923, Page 6

BITUMEN PAVEMENT

CAMBRIDGE TERRACE BEING TREATED A PERFECT SURFACE In the past Cambridge Terrace has not been a popular thoroughfare among motor-drivers. Owing to the predisposition of its macadam surface to develop pot-holes, motorists, as a rule, 'have preferred the wood-blocked Kent Terrace, on the other side of the reserve. All this is now to be altered. Inward traffic is to be compelled to use Cambridge Terrace, because only- “one way” traffic will be permitted in both Kent and Cambridge Terraces. Before that is done, however, Cambridge Terrace is to be given a perfect surface. ‘‘This,” said the engineer in charge yesterday, “is going to be the best road _in Wellington.” It certainly looked it. Commencing nt tho Basin Reserve erid, the work of surfacing Cambridge Terrace with bitumen pavement has been completed, os far as the Barker Street intersection. This is no mere bitumen-painting job. The new pavement is five inches thick- First there is a basis of bitumen-coated metal, rolled over and over again whilst hot. On top of that is placed, of a ternnerature of 250 degrees, n t-wo-inch layer of bitumen, which is of the consistency of brown sugar. This is spread evenly and rolled solid so that when seen an hour later it is perfectly smooth and hard—so hard that it- could take the traffic right away, if that were necessary. .Bv way of a final finish the surface is “painted once more with liquid bitumen, and then dusted with fine metal chips, which aro well rolled in. "When the traffic gets on to this surface it will be almost as smooth as glass, yet will not be in any way slippery. At first a big motor-lorry was used to carrv the bitumen to the job from the heating and mixing machine at Clyde Quay. Now a tractor, pulling a trailer, is bringing a vtird and a half at a time. There is no delay. This means that 50 per cent, mege work is being done at one-third the cost. . The cost of bitumen pavement, as provided in Cambridge Terrace. .is said to be approximately one-third that of wood-blocking.