BITUMEN WORK ON ACCESS ROADS: COST £l000 A MILE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22822, 17 December 1948, Page 6

BITUMEN WORK ON ACCESS ROADS: COST £looo A MILE

Reportnig to yesterday's meeting of the Cook County Council the county engineer. Mr. K F Jones, stated that investigation had been made into a proposal to sea! certain county roads. "It must be appreciated that the av. erage cost of sealing is £IOOO per mile, and as the amount spent on maintenance of these roads in their present condition, inclusive of surfacemen’s wages is only approximately £IOO per mile on an average county road, it will be seen that the financial implications are important or. any extensive programme,” said the engineer.

"It is suggested 'hat first priority should go to the Hangaroa-Tahora road, which is one of ‘.he most heavilytrafficked county roads. Scaling is required particularly on six miles of this route, which is often badly flooded. The gravel is then washed off completely The Waimata -Valley road, the Mangapoike Valley road and the Lavenham road also merit consideration." Commenting on the report, Mr F. S Bowen stated that the policy of scaling on access roads would involve a considerable outlay. He did not sec that any priority could be given if it was to commit the council to expenditure extending beyond the term of the present council. Yearly Plan Suggested

Mr L C. C. Field suggested that the council undertake a mile of sealing work in each year on each of the main county roads. lie felt that it would be good business, as it would cut down maintenance and expenditure on metal which at present, with fast-moving traffic was being .simply "shot off the road.” The expenditure from county funds should be subsidised by ratepavers on the roads under consideration.

Mr. J R. Hair doubled if sealing could be done at £IOOO a mile, and he thought the first step should be to press for these main county roads to be reclassified as main highways. The council could hardly commit itself to a long-term programme which would make heavy inroads upon the council's funds, without first exploring every avenue that might get the work dono at lower cost to the council. Mr. Field objected to further indefinite delay, holding that ratepayers in his Waimata riding would be disposed to find one-third of the cost of sealing on a year-to-year basis.

Mr. Hair could not agree to a commitment on a general basis and thought that if any riding wished to proceed with sealing it should make a definite proposal to the council. The council agreed that this course would not delay any sealing that might be undertaken, and the report w-as adopted with the exclusion of the on gineer’s recommendations governing priorities.