A NEW SURFACE

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 135, 5 December 1933, Page 10

A NEW SURFACE

CUBA STREET, LOWER HUTT

Tho portion of Cuba Street which lies within the Lower Hutt Borough (from the top of tho ramped road to the corner of Victoria Street), which has for sonic timo been in. a very bumpy condition, is today being surfaced by a special process. The work is being carried out jointly by the Lower Hutt Borough Council and the City and Suburban Highways Board, the latter being recompensed by tho Lower Hutt Borough Council. The surfacing is being carried out with what is known as the cut-back mixture, which is prepared at Rongotai and contains bitumen, sand, and a proportion of fuel oil. There are three grades, slow, medium, and fast-curing mixtures, tho medium being used in this case. Prior to using; this mix, a tack coat of cold mix bitumen is sprayed ou, this work being carried out by tho Lower Hutt council. The surface has first to be thoroughly cleared of dust and grease so that the tack coat will adhere to the original'bitumen, and to ensure this the road was thoroughly washed yesterday. " One and a half hours after the tack coat has been sprayed on the cut-back mixture is laid and tho surface is then continuously planed until the mixture sets. An advantage of this process is that traffic may use the road during the setting »eriod.