WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 December 1929, Page 2

WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

TUESDAY, DEC. 10th, OVERSEER’S MONTHLY REPORT. I have the honour to report upon the progress of work during the month of November. NORTHERN RIDING. Ivumara to Ivapitea The contractor has completed the whole of the specified work including clearing, reforming and metalling, a distance of 67 chains in a fairly satisfactory manner. The work has been inspected and passed by the Public Works Officer.

Kumara to Kapitea—The line of road to give access from Kapitea to Chesterfield Station has been pegged and levell. ed and a plan and specifications prepared. This work will consist of formation 14 feet in width, and metalling 10 feet in width on the southern side of creek, and formation and drainage on the northern side.

MAINTENANCE. Very urgent repairs were completed to upper and lower chords in Malfroy’s Bridge'. Flood damage repairs effected to the northern abutment of Four Mile Creek Bridge, Blue Spur-Arahura Road; defective decking was removed from if aimer’s Creek Bridge and replaced temporarily with 36-14”x8x4 sawn heart of rimu planks. On removal of decking, four 26 (feet xloxß stringers were found to be very defective, requir!mg< imipediate renewal. This work will be attended to before the hodidays and the bridges placed in good order. Slips were removed from water tables and watertables cleaned on Kumara Iload; a defective culvert was repaired on Kapitea track, * and encroaching gorse and blackberry cleared from the lower side of Malfroy’s Bridge and Spen cer Road.

CENTRAL RIDING. Station Road Extension—The Contractors are making good progress in spite of the bad weather conditions experienced during the month. Vine Creek Bridge, Station Road—This work was put in hand under the direction of H. Reynolds, Bridge Foreman, the plant and gear were all assembled and one pile driven, very hard, piling being met with. Afthurstown Road Widening—The work of clearing preparatory to grading was completed .. a distance otf 20 chains. MAINTENANCE.

Watertables were cleaned on Hokit-ika-Hau Hau, and Blue Spur Roads, and a defective culvert repaired on Blue Spur Road. Gorse and blackberry cleaned from the back road behind Kanieri Tram Rtfnd, and. portions of Arthurstown, South Hokitika, and Adairs Roads. A box culvert was renewed on Back Creek, and a sharp point at the road intersection widened and watertables cleaned on Gaylor Road. The Power Grader was engaged in grading the outer sides off the lower end of Arthurstown road, starting 45 chains below Pine Tree Road, the terminus of the road widening. South' Hokitika Road and Adairs Road as far as the dredge were also graded. Defective decking was removed and renewed on a platform culvert on Seddons Terrace Road, and urgent repairs consisting of filling very bad holes effected to Ruatapii'Sea Beach Road.

SOUTHERN RIDING. Ruatnpu-Mahinaupua Road Metalling.—Work -was confined to clearing and stripping a pit at Shanghai Point in readiness to commence metalling ■when the weather becomes settled. Waitaha Lagoon Bridge—The work of erection was not continued during the Bridge Foreman’s absence at Vine Creek Bridge Station Road but the construction will be proceeded with on December 9th. Petersen Road Extension.—The work of clearing, forming and metalling was advanced 1300 links. Okarito Road Metalling.—This vote was exhausted during the last week in the month. Three Mile Track Repairs.—Work was confined to repairs to very bad holes and soft spots, and to cleaning out watertables preparatory to laying corduroy. Detour Road—Two small covered culverts on Detour . Road were widened to double the original width to allow an increased waterway for drainage during high floods.

MAIN i ftNANCE. The Roadman attended to repairs to Wanganui Flat, La Fontaine Roads, the King Drag being used to smooth the surface, and rake off large stones. A small concrete pipe culvert was" also constructed at an open crossing on La Fontaine Road, near -T. Searle’s residence. Portions of Wataroa Flat Road were repaired, and seven concrete pipe culverts constructed where formerly open crossings existed below the Wataroa Dairy Factory. The culverts were constructed with the following number of pipes :

One double course of 18in diameter pipes, containing 12 pipes. Four culverts containing a single course of 18in pipes, containing 24 pipes. Two single courses of 12ineh diameter pipes, containing 12 pipes. WAITAHA SOUTH BANK ROAD. I have the honour to report as instructed, upon the cost of constructing a metalled road along the southern bank of Waitaha River, from Allen Road (the approach road to the old ford crossing on the Waitaha River) to the boundary of section 2426 occupied by P. Douglas. Formerly a reserve existed from two to three chains in width along the southern bank, but continued erosion has destroyed the whole of the reserve along the boundary of section 935 occupied by W. Wright, (for a distance of 78 chains. Portions of the reserve have also been eroded along the frontage of section 2425 occupied by G. Ferguson, and before road construction commences it will be necessary to acquire a road reserve through section 935. The approximate distance from Allen Road to section 2426 is 2 miles 25 chains, and the cost of constructing a metalled road ten feet in width will not be less than £lO per chain, or a total cost of £IBSO. The bank erosion has been heavy along the lower portion of section 935, and in some places has extended for 600 links in width ; in consequence it will not be safe to construct a road within 500 links of the present river bank.

OVERSEER’S HIGHWAYS REPORT. I have the honour to report upon the progress of work on the Secondary Highways during the month of November. LOWER KOKATAHI-McARTEUR ROAD. Repairs were effected to motor worn holes and depressions with gravel between Kanieri and Kokatahi Bridge, approximately eight miles in length, and with crushed metal binded with fine gravel over a distance of one mile. Repairs to motor worn holes absorbed 104 cubic yards of fine gravel, 27 cubic yards of crushed metal and 30 cubic yards of fine gravel for binding. f I he Power Grader was occupied in resurfacing over a distance of seven miles and a half from Kanieri to Kokatahi Bridge also in heavily grading the outer sides of road (for three miles in length. The ten ton road roller was occupied in rolling crushed metal and gravel over a distance of two miles. The approach railing to Kanieri River Bridge was dismantled, partly decayed portions of the silver pine posts cut down to sound wood, posts placed in alignment, and solidified by ramming, and six new posts placed in position after the removal of the defective ones. The line of fence on the western approach is 81 lineal feet on each side of roadway, and 79 feet in length on each side of the road on the eastern approach, the original railing of 5?4 and 4x2 sawn heart of rimu will be replaced with 5x2 and 4x2 sawn heart of rimu timber.

Watertables were cleaned on Morris’s Hill for t ,IT o chains in length, and a watertabh; cut at Graham’s Corner to divert drainage to Karnbach Creek. Flood damage repairs were effected to a 86in. diameter pipe culvert between the 8 miles and 9 miles pegs. The waterway of Harris Creek above and below Harris Creek Bridge No 4, blocked with growing scrub and vegetation which practically caused the flood damage to the pipe culvert, was cleared of all obstructions for 11 chains in length to allow a free flow of water during high flood.

UPPER. KOKATAHI ROAD. Motor worn holes were repaired with gravel over a distance of 4 miles, absorbing 45 cubic yards of gravel. The Power Grader was used in lightly grading displaced material from the outer sides of the road centre over a distance df 4 miles. The eastern approach railing to Duck Creek Bridge No 3, was dismantled, height of posts reduced by four inches, and erected in alignment for a distance of 133 lineal feet on the south side of road, and 140 feet in length on the northern side of road, the fencing was completed with new r railing 5x2 heart of rimu being used for cap railing and 4x2 timber for centre rail. The amount of sawn timber used 18-16 and 5x2 and 18-16x4x2 contains 432 superficial feet LAKE KANIERI ROAD.

Repairs were, effected to ruts and motor worn holes over a distance of 60 chains, using 16 cubic yards of gravel. Temporary repairs were effected to two broken transomes in McKay’s Creek Bridge. Watertables were cleaned over a distance of 10 chains. A narrow portion of road on the western side of Boucher’s Creek Bridge was widened for 66 feet in length, and 8 feet in width at centre. A slip was removed from the road between McKay’s Creek Bridge and the foot of Slip Hill, and several small slips removed 'from watertables on various parts of the roadway totalling 5 cubic yards.