BITUMEN ROADS

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 101, 23 January 1926, Page 8

BITUMEN ROADS

QUEEN’S DRIVE BEING SURFACED No understanding has been arrived at between the Main Highways Board and the local Highways Board concerning the differences which have brought about the stoppage of the bituminous roading work north of the Lower Hutt. It is understood . ; that these differences apply to the line of the bitumen track, which it ' is contended should be in the centre of the road reservation, and has also some regard to the constitution of the mix, and the temperature at which it has been laid. Whoever is right it has been deemed wise to discontinue the permanent roading work just north of the Lower Hutt Borough boundary (the hot mix for which was supplied from the Petone plant). The output of that plant lias been used on the half-mile of road that is being surfaced. a section which will be completed at the end of next week. The Trentham plant is now supplying the mix for the road near Upper Hutt, where at the dictation of the Main Highways Board no less than a fiveinch surface is being laid (including a solid base). This is considered to be much too extravagant and expensive a treatment for a country road (even if it is a main highway), but the insistance of the Public Works Department is being complied with, as there is a solid macadam base to build upon. The [Rongotai plants are going at top speed, and the paving of the Queen’s Drive proceeds apace. The gang had to skip that section of the drive opposite the old Maranui. quarry (where a ' short cut road inside the quarry pool is to be built), and is now working up the sloping road towards Houghton Bay. It is anticipated that when the Ngaliauranga Gorge Road is completed next week, the mix from the Petone plant will be used for the construction . of the Lower Hutt—Day’s Bay Road. 'The differences over the Hutt Road will probably not be discussed until the return of the members of the Main Highways Board from the south.