MAIN HIGHWAYS WORK

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 17 June 1935, Page 10

MAIN HIGHWAYS WORK

REVIEW OF IMPROVEMENTS

SOUTH TARANAKI ROADS

Road construction, maintenance and improvement works in South Taranaki during the past year .were reviewed at the annual meeting of No. 7 District Highways Council at Stratford on Friday. These present were Messrs. P. Keller (District Public Works enginjeer), T. R. Anderson (Stratford), A. It. Campbell (Eltliam), W. C. Green (Egmont), S. Vickers (Taranaki), H. A. Foreman (Clifton), E. Long (Waimate), Nl Ri. Cleland (Whangamomona), A. Corkill (Inglewood), J. B. Murdoch (Hawera) and the secretary, Mr T. A. Urwin (Stratford). Mr Keller was re-elected chairman. After certain work in North Taranaki 'had been reviewed, it was mentioned that Hawera County Council had continued the formation of the Tangahoo deviation under the 'Employment Board'.s No. ;> scheme and completed approximately 32 chains. The department let a yontract for the construction of a new bridge on the line of the deviation. The bridge would be a reinforced concrete spandrel arch with a clear span of 86 feet and four approach spans totalling 121 ft. The department prepared plans for improving the Manawapou Hill in Hawera county and for diverting the main highway via, the existing railway overbridge oil the old South Road. The scheme involved considerable improvements to the old South Road, as well as metalling and sealing and widening the overbridge to 24 feet, and would result in a, greatly improved alignment and the elimination of a railway crossing from the main highway.

Along the Lepperton JunctionHaw era, via. Opunakc route the Egrnont County Council completed the reconstruction of the Punehu Stream bridge, 90 feet in length, also the re-j-grading and bituminous penetration of ithe 25-chain gap at the bridge site. / On the Opunake-Eltham highway J the Eltham County Council completed ithe renewal of the Mangawhero Stream [bridge with a new bridge SOft. in lengt hand 20 feet in trafficable width. A short experimental length of road mix smoothing coat work was tried with a considerable degree of success. Sealing and alterations done on va* ous roads and the damage done by-the floods was detailed on by Mr Keller. The more important work carried out during the year was summarised as: New formation 2 miles .10 chains, metalling 30 chains, road mix bituminous surfacing (smoothing coat) 2 miles 00 chains, bituminous macadam penetration 20 chains, new sealing 1 mile 70 chains, superelevation of curves 31 chains, bridge's 170 feet, tunnelling 352 feet. It was intended to seal 410 chains next summer. The total amount provided for expenditure on maintenance and major maintenance (board’s share plus local authorities’ share), excluding liabilities, was £42,870, and the total amount expended for the year was £38,084. The amounts expended on ordinary general maintenance, including flood damage, during the last five years, with the amounts per mile in parentheses, were: 1930-31 £58,910 I (£l2O 4s). 1931-32 £48,400 (£ll7 12s), 1932-33 £38.491 (£B3 9s) 1933-34 £35,048 (£77 Is), 1934-35 £35,155 (£7B 18s). Mr Keller pointed out that the reason for the apparent inconsistency in the two sets of figures was that on the newly declared highways the expenditure included in the column of gross figures was for four and a-half months only, while the cost per mile was worked out on the basis of pet annum.