Road Construction

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 176, 11 July 1927, Page 7

Road Construction

Tar-Seal or Concrete. COUNTY COUNCIL DISCUSSION. PROGRAMME OF WOKS. The reduction in the amount of the appropriation allowed to the District Highways Council for the ensuing year for road construction as against that of last year was not viewed too favourably by members of the Hawke’s Bay County Council to-day. Cr. T. E. Crosse pointed out that the decrease in the amount available would mean that the best road construction would be outside the council’s needs. TAr-sealing was now being treated as maintenance on which the Highways Board was paying two-thirds of the cost, but on construction work only half subsidy was being paid. The allocation made by the Highways Board meant that nothing could be done beyond work on the Napier-Hastings road, NapierTaradale road and Stortford LodgeFernhill road. Regarding the question of heavy traffic, Cr. Crosse did not consider that Napier, when com pared with other centres, had very much to complain about. He pointed out that Auckland had only one road, while Napier had two outlets, one through Taradale and the other through Clive, with still another going north. Concrete was undoubtedly the best road, but the traffic did not warrant it and the district could not afford it. As elaborate expenditure was impossible he agreed to the scaling proposals. He was quite satisfied that sealing would last fully three years, and it would be a good commercial proposition as it would enable a reduction being made in more permanent work because it eliminated the dust nuisance. DISAPPOINTED AT DECISION. Or. N P. Eriksen expressed disappointment at the decision that the Taradale road should only be tarsealed, being of the opinion that something of a much more substantial nature should be put on. If the sealing would last for three or four years the council then might get something better done, Under the circumstances he would not oppose the road being tar-sealed. Cr. W. Tucker entered a strong protest against anything being done to the Napier-Hastings road unless it was of a permanent nature. , If they could not get the remaining four miles put down in concrete they would have to put up with it being done piecemeal. He was of the opinion that tar-sealing was only throwing money away. Cr. Crosse, in reply, said that he could understand Cr. Tucker’s protest as the Clive road was a riding road, but the roads at Taradale were supported by the general fund and if the members insisted on having it in concrete it might get held up altogether. In view of reclamation being gone on with he did not consider the council was justified in putting the road down in concrete and they might find after the reclamation was complete that the road was on a false level. PROGRAMME AGREED. It was then agreed that the following work should be included in the year’s programme:—Clive road, half-mile concrete; Napier borough boundary to Taradale town boundary, •about three miles ; FernhiH-St-ortford Lodge, tar seal; Karamu bridge to Hastings borough boundary, tar-seal.