WORK ON ROADS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 58, Issue 4128, 29 April 1949, Page 6

WORK ON ROADS

ACTIVITY DURING YEAR MAINTENANCE ON PLAINS REPORT BY COUNTY ENGINEER Work done during the past year on main highways on the Hauraki Plains was reported upon as follows by the county engineer, Mr E. Hazle-dine-Barber, to the April meeting of the Hauraki Plains County Council. Pipiroa-Kopu “ Maintenance has been kept up to as high a standard as possible with the money available. The sealed section between Kopuarahi and the Kopu bridge is in quite good order so far as running surface is concerned, but on close examination shows serious deterioration caused by excessive loading. Every endeavour has been made to keep the unsealed section 'between Dalgety's corner and Pipiroa ferry up to as high a standard as possible within limits of expenditure. Plans and specifications for the reconstruction and sealing of one mile sixty chains -from Dalgety’s corner to the ferry have now been approved and I see no reason why this work should not be completed, with the exception of the final seal coat before next Christmas. Two new items have been included in the estimates for next year on this highway: Improvement work on the curve at Kopuarahi and the lifting of the road for five chains approaching Kopu bridge. Orongo-Netherton “ Ordinary maintenance of patching with cold emulsion and metal chips was carried out periodically during the year. Between Turua township and Willow drain bridge approximately sixty chains of the sealed road was scarified and widened and sufficient metal added to carry the traffic. At the southern end of the highway one mile sixty chains was re-sealed. Allowance was made on our estimates for the re-sealing of two miles but the subsidy granted was insufficient to carry this out. A small amount of work was carried out on Willow drain bridge to complete this structure. The total cost of the bridge was £1277 6s 6d. The replacement of the bridge in Turua township with a five foot diameter reinforced concrete pipe culvert was commenced and all that remains to complete this work is the concrete fluming of the drain to the floodgate, and the concreting of the wing walls. Provision has been made in the estimates for scarifying and widening a further sixty chains through Turua township, completing the culvert in Turua and the re-sealing of twenty chains at the southern end of the highway in addition to ordinary maintenance. Ngatea-Turua “ Very little work was carried out on this highway during the year. An application was made for subsidy amounting to ££9B for re-sealing one mile, of which £7OO was granted on account; however, the work could not be undertaken owing to lack of material, namely three-quarter inch chip. This highway, although in fair condition in regard to running surface, is showing deterioration caused through excessive loading. Ngatea-Waharoa “ Maintenance consisted of grading, application of maintenance metal and repairs to bridges. This highway has been kept up to a fairly high standard

of maintenance and I again reiterate what I advised last year, that you continue with the present policy of heavy maintenance and no major reconstruction work until we are in a position to concentrate more of our resources on to this one highway. The construction of a new bridge over the Te Kopua stream (Nelson’s bridge), was completed with the exception of a small amount of work on the approaches. The total cost of the work was £‘2438. Ten chains of reconstruction and sealing was carried out and completed at Kaihere. Ordinary Roads *■ Oidinary general maintenance has consisted almost entirely of grading and the distribution of metal on unsealed roads, and patching with cold emulsion and metal chips on sealed roads. The foundations of all our metal roads are gradually becoming thinner and several times during the past year we have been obliged to repair places where traffic has gone through the metal. Widening has been carried out on several stretches of Waitakaruru-Morrinsville road where most urgently required for the safety of traffic. “ Approximately fifty chains of the Kopuarahi-Kerepehi road were sealed out of a total of eighty chains allowed for in the estimates. Unfortunately it was not possible to complete this work before the end of the year and although the eighty chains have now been completed there is a liability of £5OO to carry over into next year’s estimates. In addition to this and to ordinary maintenance I recommend spending a further £lOOO on preparation work during the coming year in readiness for sealing at a later date. State of Bridges “ Bridges throughout the county are in poor condition and should the classification of the roads be raised, or the carrying capacity of transport be lifted on the existing classification several of them will have to be replaced immediately while others will have to be strengthened. “ The total amount spent during the past year was £lo,B’Bl 17s lid, against the estimate of £12,233 (including £lOOO for Kopuarahi-Kerepehi sealing). After careful consideration and taking into account the limits of our resources I recommend that the same estimates as were brought down last year for maintenance on roads other than highways be adopted, with the addition of re-sealing the Kerepehi town road.”