ROAD-MAKING PROBLEMS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 11 July 1925, Page 6

ROAD-MAKING PROBLEMS.

HOT-AIIX SYSTEM FAVOURED. The committee of the Wellington City and Suburban District Highways Board, which recently visited Taranaki and Wanganui, handed in its report at last meeting on the various roadmaking problems from the data gathered on the trip. Air. H. D. Bennett, who presented the report, stated that the general opinion was that the hot-mix supplied til© best surface, and in that particular lay the best system of roadmaking. The hot-mix system was cheaper than concrete. Black base should be used. In all cases where' t-lie foundation was doubtful. The Hutt, Road wa s held up as the ideal from which all roads should be built. The hot-mix system produced, an almost everlasting, road, which had only to be surfaced.once in live years: He urged that tho report be adopted, as many local bodies were awaiting cox>ie.s of tile report. The motion was agreed to. The report, which went into the matter in great detail, led U P to the following conclusions: The art of permanent road making would have to be developed, to an intense degree in the future. The construction of the better class of road would l prove more economical. As an example it was stated that a pavement costing 8s a square yard would prove more economical than one costing ss, if the first was intended to last 15 years and the latter but 10. It would be necessary when laying down roads out of loan moneys to provide a. road that would outlive the period of the loan and to reduce the maintenance costs to the lowest possible minimum. After a careful examination of all the roads traversed and a study of maintenance costs the committee decided that the best roads seen were those mad© under the hotmix treatment adopted by the AVellington City and Suburban Highways Board for main highways.