MAIN HIGHWAYS

Feilding Star, Volume 6, Issue 1354, 14 March 1928, Page 7

MAIN HIGHWAYS

THROUGH MANAWATU COUNTY ! THE MONTHLY RKFORT The acting engineer, Air H. \ • Bond, tendered a. comprehensive report on main highways maintenance and reconstruction and also riding maintenanco for the month at yesterday’s meeting of the Aianaualu County Council. Sausou-Bulls Hoad.—Of the three miles of this road tO' bo sealed. 97 chains is complete and open J'or traffic. Another 913 chains of road has been prepared and 73 chains has received first coat treatment. A ith favourable weather the whole of this road will bp completed by next meeting of file Council . The gang on this work is now working lU hours per day.

Sanson-Awahun Hoad. -.1 his road has been graded and patched, but is quite void of metal in places. An attempt, will be made within a tew days to roll some - inch metal into this road. 1. intended this work to be carried out before, hut one steam roller is now temporarily idle owing to the driver being incapacitated. A length of seven chains of bituminous penetrated road has been put down in front of the County Offices at a cost of £27 8s 8d per chain. 18 feet wide. The parking area between the 18ft road and the kerb has been similarly treated. Awahuri-Feilding Hoad. —Pa telling and grading has been carried out on this road, which ks now in good order. Drains are being cleaned out. Stewart’s Line.— Grading has been carried out on this road. Fo.xton-Sanson Hoad.—This road has been graded and metal spread on bare places and blinded. Culverts and drains are now being cleaned out. A quantity of imerushed riverbed metal is now being sent forward for building up this road below Hium tatigi. Hima ta l lgi-Hangi ot u Hoad. Grading and patching has been carried out and drains are being cleaned. The decking on the Alain Drain bridge on the Whiroki.no road has been repaired. The culvert by Air Picket’s farm is being lowered. New Hoad to Shannon Bridge.— The contract for. the . formation of this road, has been commenced, and a length of 10 chains lias been rough. lv formed. An extra half chain lias had to he taken in the width of this road. making a total of U chains, but this will be through, the Maori land only. ’lbis extra land is required for excavation, to suppl> enough filling to build up the road to the required level lor about 4 chains each side o! the stop-hank. The contract for this road was let on the assumption that the required material for filling was on the sides of the road. As this is not the ease, however, ■ a great deal ol the spoil wil 1 have to be carted lor a distance up to 10 chains. J lie price tendeied for the job works out at Is per cubic yard; we will therefore- have to allow extra lor the extra cartage. I have pointed out this matter Tj Mr Littlejohn and lid agrees to the above suggested course ol action. A contract has been let for the fencing of this new load at 13s (id per chain for labour only.

Awahou Riding.—Drains have beam cleaned out oil Lowes, Poplar Mill* and Karl Kari roads. Beach and Poplar .Mill roads have been graded and curves banked on the latter One small wooden bridge has been taken out on Kari Kari road and replaced by 24 inch concrete pipes. Some of fbe sound timber out of this bridge was used for repairing other bridges and culverts on this fund.

Kuwa lvawa 'Riding. Kellow’s, Main Drain and Pike's roads, have been patched and culverts cleaned out-, otherwise nothing of any importance has been .done in this rid. ing.

Rougotea. Riding.—Loon Line contract: This is now almost completed, oldv about six chains remain to metal and a. little 1 trimming has to bo done. Drains have been cleaned and patching has been carried out in Jones’ •Line.

Waitohi Hading.—Grading has been carried out on Taipo, Penny’s, Banks-Waitolii and Rowes roads. Hand rails have been 'erected on small bridges in Banks. Waitolii road, and drains are now being cleaned out. The metalling of Fair, field road is now being completed. Ml. Stewart Riding.—Surplus spoil from the aihai road lias been carted to the Tedding racecourse to the amount of 354 cubic yards for the month of February. This work lias now ceased. Ranfurly road has been patched, Rakehou and Haleombo roads have been patched tyid graded. These roads are now being usd as deviations for the Feilding traffic whilst the Bulls-S anson liightvav is closed.

Sandou Riding.—Drains around the Sanson Township,have been cleaned out. Bridges on Fagan’s and Speedy’s roads have received considerable maintenance owing to the heavy traffic ’iiow using these roads. Extra

'■Mid.rails have been erected on these bridges and eulvrts. Grading and patching has been carried out on on Speedy's, Ohakea, Richardson s and Old River rodas. The two former roads are being used as deviation roads.

Carnarvon Riding. —Very little work has been car rid out in tins riding, with the exception ol cleaning drains and culverts in Koputaru road. Ojnei JulviVt 'is now flieing lowered in this road.

Workers’ .Dwellings —Most ol the limber is now to hand lor this .i"b. Metal. -The crushing plant has now been closed down as sufficient metai li snow to hand for the completion of the Bulls-Sanson Highway. This plant is now being overhauled. With reference to supply of metal for the coming year, I. am compil jig a, comprehensive report under the following headings: Sources of supply; Suitability of metal, for different classes of -works: Costs; Requ'remnts for economical storage; Transportation and handling; Treatment „f different classes of roads; amounts of metal required: estimates. This report entails a close survey of the whole of the county roads and metal resources, and a consideration of the amount of work that is likely to be carried out during the coming fin an-