GREEN ISLAND TO TAIERI MOUTH

Evening Star, Issue 18339, 28 July 1923, Page 8

GREEN ISLAND TO TAIERI MOUTH

RESTORATION OF THE ROAP. About the most important business before the Taieri County Council at its monthly meeting was matters connected with the_ restoration of the Green Island to Taieri Mouth road to a state that would enable traffic to bo once again carried on. It will be remembered that this road suffered much damage at the times of tho heavy rainfall a couple of months ago. The Engineer (Air B. B. Couston) reported that tenders had been invited for the erection of a new bridge at Bush's Creek, on the road to Brighton, and arrangements had been made with the Public Works Engineer regarding the work required at other washouts between Brighton and Taieri Mouth. It was necessary to give some thought to this road, because conditions were so bad that there was talk of restricting the mail service, and apart altogether from considerations affecting holiday traffic there are important reasons for restoring the road without delay, Tho engineer also recounted the hardships under which the settlers were laboring, and quoted a case of a sick man who had to be taken to Taieri Mouth, thence up the river to litn, and by ambulance to Dunedin Hospital, The Mosgicl doctor had taken eleven hours to visit a patient at Kuri, so slow was his progress on the road. Tho Engineer continued :—The reduction made by tho council in the schedule of allocation obliges mo to modify (ho original scheme of restoration, and f think it hud better be decided to build concrete water openings with liberal waterway where the foundation is rock, but to be more conservative in tho area of the waterway and to use pipe culverts and timber box openings where tho foundation is either soft imperial or sand. Working on these linos ] recommend timber boxes at Lloyd's and l.eitch’s, concrete pipe j culvert at Pelt’s boundary, concrete arches at Bruce s and Aloe’s, bridges with concrete abutments at Red Creek, Alarshall’s, Burton s, and Baxter’s, and a timber pile opening at the last bridge. I recommend that timber boxes and pipe culverts be inserted at once, that the timber bo procured for (he bridges and temporarily propped up so that (raffle can be carried until (hero is time to construct (he concrete abutments, and that where arches are (imposed (lie gaps be temporarily spifnned with timber decking erected at sufficient height to enable the arches to he const meted underneath without stopping traffic. Some of these works can bo carried out by contract and some by day labor, and I further recommended that the chairman, CV AlTnlosh, and the engineer by empowered to deal with tenders. Alessrs Alee, Alarshall, and Burton appeared before (lie council on behalf of the settlers and stressed the need for the reinstatement of the damaged culverts and bridges, so that the engine and mill could be got into the district, and other necessary carting proceeded with. Help would lie given with the filling in of the earthwork at (he culverts at Mce’s, Leitch’s, and Burton’s

The engineer, in his monthly report, touched on this matter, and submitted a modified scheme consistent with the reduction made by the council in the schedule of allocation at last meeting. The recommendations of tho engineer in lii.s report wore adopted. Tenders wore received for the erection of (lie bridge at Bush’s Creek on the Green Island-Brighlon road, and that cf Air Knewstuhb accepted, conditional on (lie Public Works Engineer agreeing. In connection with this road, complaints were made to the council concerning motors being driven at an excessive speed.