MINOR DEVIATION ON MORERE HILL : SEALING IN 1950-1951 SEASON

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23211, 24 March 1950, Page 4

MINOR DEVIATION ON MORERE HILL : SEALING IN 1950-1951 SEASON

DISTRICT VISIT ENDED

(COMPLETING a two days’ visit to the No. 4 highways district, members of the Main Highways Board yesterday passed southward into No. 5 district, but for a time at least remained in contact with arterial-road problems of intense interest to Gisborne residents. Chief of these was the improvement of the grade and surface on Shaw’s Hill, on the Gisborne side of Morere, where a minor deviation will eliminate a series of bad bends on a steep section at the valley end. The acting-chairman of the board, Mr. Trevor Smith, gave a clear indication that, a major deviation from the hill route is still some years away, but that in the meantime the section will be improved and sealed.

The probability is that when the board finally gets around to reorganising: the highway in this locality it will endeavour to find a suitable road-line rising steadily from tile Morere Valley to the neighbourhood of the Tare wa bridge. This will entail heavy expenditure, as part of the country to be passed through is steep and non.e too stable; and the job will probably carry on through two or three winters while traffic continues to use the old route.

highway will be deviated through the Maraetaha Valley approximately parallel to the railway.

Kopua Hill Deviation Issue

The immediate objective in this locality is to give traffic a better line of approach to the Shaw’s Hill climb, where heavy trucks and cars with caravans attached_ at present _ experience much difficulty in negotiating a steep pinch complicated by deep "S bends.

Swing Up From Morere Bridge

The minor deviation planned here will take off from the Morere bridge over the Tunanui Stream, passing over a substantial filling on the site of the pronounced low spot there, and swinging up the face of the hill about 15ft. above the level of the existing road to rejoin it above the specially tortuous section. , , Further limited improvement work will be carried out at the top of Shaw s Hill in order to justify the cost of sealing. It is anticipated that sealing over the whole length of Shaw’s Hill will be completed in the 1950-51 construction season. , , , ~ , The fact that the board has decided to proceed with sealing on the section indicates that it will be some years before the major deviation will be even started; but engineering surveys are to commence fairly shortly to determine the best alternative route, taking into account the capacity of modern traffic to handle steeper grades on wider-radius bends.

The deviation would be of immense benefit to traffic, and would eliminate a maintenance bugbear on the Kopua Iiill; but it would entail a large capital expenditure. The problem of the board is to determine whether the capital outlay here would bo balanced by the improvement in traffic conditions plus the saving of sealing and heavy maintenance costs on the existing hill section; the question being complicated by the likelihood that the board will have less money to spend on new works during the coming year. Throughout its tour of tiie GisborneEast Coast district the board was reminded repeatedly that the past two years has seen the development of a good working organisation in this portion of the North Island, and that a sharp reduction in allocations would certainly break up the organisation. Board members appeared to be impressed with the desirability of keeping the construction organisation in being, especially since labour once lost to highways work might be hard to replace.

Works That Must Go Ahead

“Model T” Surveys Now Outdated It is known that a departure from the present line of the highway has been considered from time to time over the past 20 years at least. Previous trial shots at a survey for the new line were based upon the requirements of less powerful motor vehicles, however, and it is forecast that if the major deviation goes through it will resemble the older pictures as little as the modern high-speed truck resembles the Model-T Ford. „ , TT .„ Between the summit of Shaw s Hill and the end of the old bitumen work at Joblin’s is another low-speed section which will be improved markedly before it, too, is sealed. This section is characterised by rapid changes of grade and several excursions into the heads of deep gullies. Grade and alignment will be ironed out before sealing is applied, although expenditure will be kept to a minimum in view of the forefast that the route over this section will eventually be relegated to access and stock traffic. Relative Costs of Road-Work

Relative costs of earth-moving and scaling work fully justify many of the improvements projected. The board can contemplate: with equanimity a substantial outlay on a filling which will save a few chains of sealing, and this factor will be given its full value in the programme of improvements for the Morere-Tarewa section.

At the same time, they raised frequently the defence of relative trafficdensities as between metropolitan and rural areas, and left the impression that this district would be lucky to get any large amount of new work in the coming year apart from that to which the board is already committed. These committed works will affect the various arterial routes radiating from Gisborne as under:— 0 Gisborne - Wairoa, via Morere. — Minor deviation at Shaw’s Hill; realignment and regrading of Shaw’s Hill-Joblin's section; sealing to meet old work at Joblin’s; completion of second Maraetaha bridge. © Gisborne-Whakatane, via Waioeka.— Completion of sealing to Puha and extension towards Waikohu; completion of McGregor’s bridge, between Puha and Waikohu; reconstruction to foot of Otoko Hill, including protective work along the course of the Waihuka Stream; a fairly big deviation between Matawai and the Koranga bridge; reconstruction of a limited amount of highway beyond Trafford’s Hill. © Gisborne-Opotiki, via Te Araroa.— Sea-wall construction over 21 chains at Tatapouri to protect highway from sea erosion; major deviation at Mangatuna, incorporating a new highlevel bridge; strengthening of “Three -Bridges” at Hikuwai; re placement of concrete fords by pipe culverts in Mangahauini Valley section, north of Tokomaru Bay: deviation on Sugarloaf Hill near Te Puia, elimination series of sharp climbing turns; reconstruction of portion of Mangaoporo bridge: a substantial deviation on Hospital Hill, Te Araroa, to eliminate dangerous corner; completion of Waitaukakari, Mangameka and Oweka bridges, between Hicks Bay and Whangaparoa, eliminating last three open fords on East Coast State highway. Te Karaka Road-Rail Swing

It seems unlikely that the old sealing coat on 10 miles of the WharerataTarewa section will be disturbed for two or three seasons. This work, which has lasted since about 1927 with only one interim dressing, provides a narrow traffic surface and eventually will have to be built out to standard width. But in the meantime it is giving good service even though it is wavy in places and vehicles cannot remain wholly on the bitumen when passing.

Among many other prospective works which may possibly be embarked upon in the 1950-51 construction season is the deviation of the highway at the bluffs north of Te Karaka, over a distance of several chains. This will give the highway more clearance from the bluffs and reduce maintenance considtrably; and a companion work will be the re-align-ment and re-grading of the railway over the same section, eliminating the Te Karaka tunnel.

The board apparently has suspended its decision as to whether the Kopua Hill will be scaled or whether the

Additional sealing work on the East Coast highway north of Tolaga Bay is also to be undertaken according to the funds available, according to promises given by the board to Coast county councils.