HIGH EFFICIENCY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 106, 1 November 1926, Page 10

HIGH EFFICIENCY

REPORT ON PAVING PLANTS

TAITA GORGE LENGTH TO BE PAVED.

Both the city paving plants at Rongotai and the board's plant at Petone continue to maintain high 'efficiency, and each machine is turning out a good daily output of material, stated the engineer's report to the City and Suburban Highways Board to-day. Repairs to Trentham plant are completed, and this machine is now ready for paving operations. Provided sufficient work is available to warrant the expense of organising this plant, the machine will commence work at an early date. Preparation work in suburban areas is well in hand, and is in progress at Island Bay parade, Coutts street, and Broadway. Work is about to proceed in Upper Cuba street, Upper Vivian street, and" Adelaide road. Wakefield street, Clyde - quay, and Abel Smith street areas were completed early in the month. PAVING HELD UP BY RAIN. The No. 1 plant at Petone has completed the paving of the Main Hutt road through Petone borough, and the work is now transferred to Jackson street east to complete the section between Cuba street and the Hutt pipe bridge. The No. 2 plant has completed the paving of Wkkefield street, and is detailed to Abel Smith street. The No. 3 plant is still supplying material to Island Bay parade. Serious delay to the paving operations both in the city and ' suburban areas has occurred since the machines started up owing to adverse weather conditions. Out of a total of 38 working days only. 20 days were suitable on which the hot mix could be transported to the respective works. There is no doubt that this delay and the succession of wet days, resulting in diminished output, will be reflected in the final cost of the works. TAITA GORGE ROAD. The plans and specifications submitted to the Main Highways Board for approval have been returned,'and authority has been granted for this work to proceed. Work will be commenced on this area early next month on completion of the reconstruction in the Petone Borough. WET WEATHER, HEAVIER MAINTENANCE. The recent heavy rains necessitated considerable repairs to roads under thn control of the board, and as yet still unpaved. Advantage of tho ' dislocation of paving work was taken in putting these areas right, and the surfaces are again in fairly good order. Several' small slips occurred along Day's Bay foreshore road, but fortunately not of a serious nature. It is certain that larger falls of spoil may be anticipated in the near future, and it is desired that tho board should come to a decision as to who is the responsible body, for removal of debris, in the event of these larger slips occurring. ' PLANT AND MATERIAL.' The following information was supplied in response to inquiries from Mr. W. T. Strand:— (a) Query: The total cost of all preparation work which has been done under tho board's programme up to the end of July (but not including the Hutt road, which was the first work done).—Answer: £23,655 0s 3d. (b) (Juery: The total number of square yards of paving that has been done under the combined schedule.,— Answer: 235,646 square yards. Extension scheme, plus 78,728 square yards, old Hutt road.

(c) Query: A list of plant purchased by the board from: 3 (1) the old Hutt road loan; (2) the second combined loan for the highways work with the cost of same, and the amount of depreciation which has been written off. —Answer: (1) Hutt road loan, £8919. The whole of this amount has been written off. (2) Combined, loan, £16,619, of which £8863 has been written off.

(d) Query:. The quantities of metal and chips purchased: (1) for the old Hutt road; (2) for the work done for the board from that date, with prices' for same and where delivery was taken. —Answer: (1) No detail record of metal used.on the old Hutt road; (2) metal used by the H.C.B. since the old Hutt road job: Petone, 1676 cubic yards, at 12s ,9d; 522 cubic yards,' at 5s 6d; 9696 cubic yards, at 16s; total, 11,894. Rongotai, 17,500 cubic yards, at 12s, 13s 9d,'and 16s 6d. Trentham, 1115 cubic yards, at 10s 6d; 3250 cubic yards, at 12s 9d; total, 4365.