ROAD RE-OPENED

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12529, 15 April 1935, Page 5

ROAD RE-OPENED

DELAYS OS’SOUTH- ROUTE ■ OARS THROUGH YESTERDAY SATURDAY’S BIG HOLD-UP. With the casihg or tho rain an< * •Btrenuons efforts on the part of ;P.W.D gfirigl, ilih-Riain south' road 'from Gisborne to Alorere rag com'pletely re-opened to traffic yostcrday.and a'number of cars, including' Service cars came ilbrbiigh during the .afterhobri. Yesterday morning there ■reniainect • only one real blockage to trriffib; this!' being g gtibstrilitial *>ljp at the S-bend about halfway up the Mbrere hill on the south side. A large gang of men was,engaged at this point." Yesterday"morning service cars Hverb brought to either side of this slip and' the passengers then walked acre# the continuing tlie journey in the cars on the other side. Torrential rain (was the cause of the interference to traffic. The rain -was of almost record heaviness and slips occurred on several parts of the road, while flooding about Nuhafca. added to tlie difficulties. Saturday -was the worst day and; through traffic wa almost completely suspend ed. No service year passengers, of course, could get thiflush- anj both mail trucks were held up at Nuliaka. Most of the 'slips and 1 wash -outs extended from Jo-blin’s Hill to Morerc itself. Besides the largest slip, mentioned above, thero wa!s- another big on© on this section and also a dozen or so smaller ones. Actually, on Saturday, a full throe miles of the r°ad ending on the north side at the metal shoot on Joblin’s Hill, whs completely barred 1 to traffic. Several travellers hound for Gisborne came through that day By. (walking across the blocked section and then picking up a car at this end. Traffic experienced! further trouble at Nuhaka on Saturday when a large culvert, across the road Was washed out. A P.W.B garig proceeded to the spot and .repairs were sufficiently advanced yesterday to permit the passage of cars. More than a, dozen cars (wore held up .at Morcre on Saturday when they were caught between, the washeo-out culvert" arid the Merere Hill slips-. A number of other cars more also marooned on the blocked portion of the road and two men if! one car spent Friday night- oh' the road. The St John ambulance, driven by Mr Nolan Redstone, and with MrsR. E. Barton, and Mr R-aki Manku, victims of the accident to'the Tiniroto service car on McGoriigril-s Ilill in it as patients, was compelled! to return to Gisborne via Ht’airoh. «n Friday nighty owing to Harris’s tliU becoming impassable. The journey to Gisborne occupied 51 hours and the party was fortunate to get through before the worst subsidences occurred. Extensive flooding occurred about Nuhaka and water poured through the mission station, arid tfi© shop* of Messrs A. Mayo and .T. Crombic. r.-t times to a depth, of 30ft. Water also entered' the homes of the Jibe Rev. Hemi Potatau and Mr. Nigel Boyd. In Nuhaka River Valley the flooded river completely changed its course, and did a great deal of (lamrihb tb the farms in the vicinity. At Tahaen-ui all tlie flat lands were under water. OTHER ROADS IN GOOD ORDER. All the trouble with the roads has been to the south and the main north road via Waicolca ii in excellent order, while no trouble at all has been experienced on tho Coast road. Services ran as. usual on both these routes over the [week-arid. MAIL ARRANGEMENTS. The mail truck held up on the south road was expected to come through to Gisborne last- night. The outward mail on Saturday night was despatched via Tnneatua.