OMOTO MAIN HIGHWAY

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 April 1929, Page 2

OMOTO MAIN HIGHWAY

APPLICATION' FOR GRANT

Thirty-five residents of Omoto and Kaiata districts last month petitioned the Main Highways Board concerning the deplorable condition of the main road from Greymouth to Omoto, as compared with other roads in the district. It was pointed out that while the surface may be in good order, the road had never been graded since originally constructed. There were a great number of motor lorries and cars in addition to ordinary horse traffic using the road and it was dangerous to allow children to walk on it, while for a woman to wheel a pram along it was almost impossible. Considering that the road was in the immediate vicinity of an important town like Greymouth and the main road from all the coal mines, the petitioners trusted that the Highways Board; would have it graded and widened. There were, in addition to other traffic, three motor buses running daily between Greymouth and, Wallsend and Blackball, carrying a great number of passengers. It was necessary on race days to have a number of men with the police on point duty, at the dangerous points. Mr. T. A. Johnston, chairman of the

District Highways Council, forwarded a copy of the petition to the meeting this morning of the Grey County Council. He pointed out that part of the road lay in the borough and part in the County, and that so far, the Highways Board had not received proposals for any definite regrading, widening or improvement. Mr. Johnston was of opinion that it was a dangerous section of the highway and that improvements could not be easily effected, partly on account of the tendency of some of the country to slip and partly because the work of improvement was to a certain extent hampered or involved with the adjacent railway. If consideration could be given by the County engineer and Council to this matter it was possible that certain provision could be made in connection with next year’s main highway estimates. He suggested, however, that any proposal submitted should show the whole length of the road controlled by the Council, the present alignment, grades and cross sections, so that improvements could be considered over the whole section or studied in relation to the remaining parts of the section. The County engineer, Mr. J. Higgins, said that the Council would have to contribute towards the improvements, and he thought that if the Council agreed to what extent it would contribute, the Main Highways Board would give its share and that improvement work would be done this year. After, some discussion relative to the rate of subsidy it was decided on the motion of Cr. J. W. Hannan, to authorise expenditure of £5OO on the work, provided that a subsidy of £3 to £1 was forthcoming from the Main Highways Board.