PERMANENT PAVING

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LVI, Issue 43, 31 May 1935, Page 7

PERMANENT PAVING

WORK TO SEIAVYN "BRIDGE.

PROPOSAL BEFORE COUNTY

COUNCIL.

There was more discussion at the ! meeting of the Ellesmere County Council yesterday regarding the sugIgestion to apply to have the main road tar-sealed as far as the Selwyn bridge. Cr. R. T. McMillan introduced the matter, and he agreed to I give notice of motion to be consid- | ered at next meeting, that the council apply to the Main Highways Board to have the main road from Boggy Creek, Doyleston, to the Selwyn bridge, tar-sealed. He said he had adopted this method so as to give councillors an opportunity during the month of considering the matter and seeking any information they desired on classes of pavement available. The council has already authority to have the road paved from the railway crossing to Boggy Creek. The chairman (Cr. J. Heslop) said that the council had agreed to have the shorter length done as an experiment. It was, however, open to the councillors to move in whatever way they desired. He added that the tarsealing as proposed did not make a first-class job. Cr. J. Nixon: I thought that this class of work had long passed the experimental stage. The chairman referred to the work on the Main South road, and said that it would be finished shortly. Cr. McMillan contended that the council should do more of the work than the short length agreed to. Tarsealing was long past the experimental stage. The road through Leeston was done several years ago and seemed to be standing up to the traffic well. He added that the main road should have been done long ago. He thought that every other county except those in this part of the province had most of its main roads permanently paved. The chairman asked if the council would be satisfied to have the work done with tar.

Cr. McMillan replied that tar was used on the road to Tai Tapu and it seemed good enough. The council could always put on a top-dressing coat of another preparation later if it was found necessary. The tar would stand up to the work for several years. He added that he hoped it would not be long before the length to Doyleston was done; it was authorised many months ago. The engineer (Mr S. R. Wright) said that it was a job which could be better done in the summer. Cr. A. Anderson said that he would like to see the work done, but he was doubtful about tar-sealing standing up to the traffic. Mr Wright said that the cost to the council of sealing the length to Doyleston would be £250. It was a distance of 115 chains. A member remarked that it would be really worth while if the adjoining councils could be induced to do their lengths at the same time and let the work to Prebbleton in one contract.

Cr. J. P. McEvedy agreed with Cr. McMillan that the council in the past had been too slow; it should have had most of the main roads done. Cr. Anderson disagreed. He said that there were long sections of the Picton-Bluff highway which were not yet paved. Mr Wright remarked that from the information he possessed the council's share of the cost of doing the work from Doyleston to the bridge would be between £1200 and £1300. Cr. McMillan said there was another aspect of the matter which should be considered. There were large numbers of motorists in . the county who, through license fees and taxes, were paying large sums of money which went to the Highways Board for road purposes, and of this the local motorists received very little benefit. He thought it was time that some of this money, apart from the small amounts given as maintenance subsidies, should be spent in this district.

The chairman said that some years ago the council prepared a scheme for paving work with a first-class pavement, but it was not gone on with because it was not considered to be an economic proposition.

The discussion concluded with Cr. McMillan giving notice of motion in the direction indicated.