MORE PLANT TO HANDLE UAWA’S ROAD PROBLEMS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23315, 26 July 1950, Page 5

MORE PLANT TO HANDLE UAWA’S ROAD PROBLEMS

(Hcrnid Correspondent.) The Uawa County Council has found it necessary to expand its plant for road maintenance and construction work, and has placed an order for a crawler tractor and a loader-dozer; both items are expected to be available for use in the coming season's programme. The extent of damage in the county resulting front the recent flood was summarised by the county engineer. Mr. C. Percy, at Friday’s meeting of the council, at which were present the chairman. Mr. H. R. Irving, and Messrs. A H. Reeves. W. H. Laing. R. A. Berry, G. Smyth and F. J. McNab. Tauwliareparac Badly Hit Serious damage had been suffered on most roads in the county, Mr. Percy stated, as a result of intensive rainfall and flooding. Rainfall registered on Mr. R. Watkins' gauge at Arikihi for the first four days of July was 13.4 in., while at Huanui station Sin. of rain had fallen in 10 hours. With one inch of rain equalling 100 tons of water to the acre, it was not hard to visualise what happened to unstable country, commented the engineer. Despite the phenomenal rainfall in the Arikihi riding, the damage there was comparatively light. Numerous small slips still had to be removed, and a fair amount of topdressing metal had been lost. Tauwhnreonrac riding suffered great or damage than any other, the damage being widespread on the main riding road from Mr. J. McNeil’s to the Huanui turn-off. with slips and wash-outs numerous. The highways section of Ca'dwell’s Hill suffered very heavy damage, and restoration would be a slow and costly job. Some of the country through which the road passed was less stable than formerly, and reformation work would be (he more difficult for this reason. The damage on this seciinn. (ho engineer estimated, was worse than that suffered in the 1938 flood. Trouble in the Gorges From the Huanui turn-off to the Mangamanu Gorge little damage had occurred but in the gorge section of the Tauwhareparae Road a major problem was presented. The engineer’s information £rom this locality indicated that a section of the roadway, over its entire width had dropped into the river A close inspection was intended for the "near future. Numerous slios and wash outs occurred on the Huanui Road, where a bulldozer was now cleaning up. and a good c!eil of metal had been lost. The Mangaheia riding’s chief item of damage was on the roadway in the Mangarokerau Gorge, where two sections of the roadway had dropped into the stream, leaving about a four-feet strip of road still standing. The sandstone batter in the gorge was about 70ft. high and it would be necessary, said the engineer, to blast rock from this face to re-establish the roadway. Plant was being obtamed from the Wo r ks fof this job. Slins Recurring on Waihau Road

In the Mangatuna riding the most serious damage was on the Kaiaua Road where numerous slips and wash-outs occurred The loss of simf-ce metal th's ridine was eonsidernb lo . The gorge section of the Waihau Road in (he Hnuili riding would require the construction of a breastwork about 25 ft. long and Bft. in height to re-establish the road, and two slips which alreadv had been cleared up once were still giving trouble, the settlers' access having been closed off for the second lime. The engineer war, awaiting the availability of a suitable machine to complete the clearance of these slips.