BOROUGH ACTIVITIES.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 20, 9 October 1930, Page 3

BOROUGH ACTIVITIES.

Some idea of the enormous anwyunti of work undertaken by the engineering department of the Lower Hutt Borough. Council will be gained from the follow-/ ing information gleaned by our representative from the borough engineer, Mr. A. <J. Bush.

Work under the Council's current unemployment loan is proceeding apace and that portion dealing with Rossiter Avenue is beginning to show what the possibilities will be. The old creek, which has often been described as a menace to health, with . its untidy

growth, of large willow trees and which also constituted a decided trap 'for the, uawary stranger at night and for child Ten by.day, has been piped in with 18in diameter'concrete pipes with manholes at intervals,. conveying the storm and spring water underground to the Waiwetu stream. The willow and other stumps have all been removed and the old road excavated almost to formation level, the spoil removed being used to fill in over the pipes, making the road to its full width. Kenbing ihas already been laid on the northern.' side of the road and the footpath ievelled ready to, receive its final dressing and on.c is now able to visualise "the completecl avenue ank! is surprised at the vast improve-) mekt which, will be created to the amenity of the neighbourhood.. If planted with a suitable type of, tree, ia a few years time the thoroughfare will be one of t-he finest and prettiest in tho Borough. %

Ihiiring the past year the sewerage system has been extended,up the Waiwetu Road through Rossiter Avenue, ■where an up-to-date lifting station is installed, to the Waiwetu J^tream, where it will pick up the sewage from the Wyndrum estate and the east side of tke river and a part of that from Norton Park. In connection with this system an interesting piece of work took place last week wihen the connection across the Waiwetu Stream was laid. Since the River Board objected

to the pipe crossing the stream at or aibovo water level provision had to be made to carry it beneathj the bed of the creek and all the pipes had to be encased in concrete, and this appeared likely to be a most expensive work, but the problem was ingeniously met by the Borough Engineer in the following fashion:— . - ~ Instead of diverting the stream a portion at a time, pumping the foundations dry and laying pipes in the trenches so prepared, an iron pipe some 40ft in length was laid out on the east bank parallel. to the proposed crossing and xeinf oreed as would be the case with a concrete pile, The. pipe was then boxed and concreted with, a close mixture of concrete entirely surrounding the pipe and strengthening it against all strain and possible leakage hi years to come. -When set its weight was approximately four tons. By means of a steam roller fitted with winding gear and- a snatch block the pipe was lowered into the sewer trench on the cast bank of the river and then by the same means drawn westward across the stream where it forged its way through the silty.-bed of the stream, whieb. had previously been, cleared of stumps, until it reached across the stream in its as-' signed position. The monholes were tthen constructed at each end of the pipe and the difficulty was overcome rwithout much apparent trouble. It was anticipated that eonsideralble drawing too and fro of the pipe would be necessary to settle it in its final position but' things went better than had been hoped for and, as it was described to our representative "The pipe at its very first draw settled down in its bed like a broody hen on a nest of eggs." Within the next week or so the connection with Wyndrum Estate will be made and those on the upper portion of Norton Park can enjoy the additional 'facilities wihich have for some time been held up awaiting the completion of this work. The way has been prepared and work will shortly be commenced on the storm

I Avater relief of Phurazyii Street and j that area, whereby an additional 9in ! pipe will be installed from Pbarazyn ; Street through privately owned pro- : perty to the river a pipe varying- in j diameter from 15in to 18in will be laid passing beneath the stopbank and dis- . charging iuto the river immediately sout-li of the rifle range^ where the outlet will be protected by a flood gate. Arrangements have also been made to i cuuijiii'iicc tne laying of an additional .stornru ater pipe xrom Hautana Street to Uiack Creek, again by the courtesy of. .tne owner of a section in Hautana fcjtreeu This will eliminate the flooding trouble which occurred after \ every even moderately heavy rain in Hautana Street adjacentvto Sherwood .Street. Yet another work "which is well in h hand is that of the reduction in the crown, of Titoki Street, this particular work being completed fr<im Vie-toria iStreet'to Fitsiherbert Street. The improvement in this street is almost uniae* lieviable" and though, similar work is taking place in Montague Street it is to be regretted that funds aTe not avail a'bl-e to continue it throughout all the t 33ft streets in Alicetown for this treat- i ment would make those streets infinite j ly safeT for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. * ■ *■ I A stormwater pip© is also being laid in William Street .from Fitzherbert Street across Tama Street through private property to the river. Although ! this wojrk does not appear to be of ■'great magnitude it will 'have far reach- ' ing effect for a considerable portion of the-stormwater between Buckley street ( and William street will thus be diverted to its proper destination —the Hutt' j river, instead of flowing back as it previously did to Victoria Street, overloading the storm sewer in that street and increasing tke flooding which takes place so frequently adjacent to Te Homo Road. This is the second outlet which has been provided from Alicetown streets to the river during the current year arid the Council has' in ■hand a scheme for augmenting these and relieving the older and. existing sewers as opportunity permits. .. Still a further work is proceeding in the eastern portion of the Borough in Whites Line where the old Wainui road is being treated in niueh the same fashion as Bossiter Avenue^ the road which previously only existed on paper being now put into the active list of streets. Work has only recently been" commenced here and..duo to the 'heavy weather recently experienced appears to be a nasty mess at the moment, out of which the officials will, no dotubt, produce something • praiserworthy as soc-n as finer weather prevails. "'-,..' The connecting road between Humo Sti*eet and Beaumont Avenue will also foe proceeded with as soon as sufficient plant can be spared from Rossiter Avenue and Old Waimvi Road. A considerable improvement has also been effected in Hautana. Square by the removal of the heavy grass bertn. which surrounded the pretty little reserve in that square and wo understand that ad* ditional work is intended there as soon j as funds permit.