CONCRETE ROADS

Northern Advocate, 22 March 1934, Page 4

CONCRETE ROADS

GREATER USE URGED. A -SATISFACTORY PROCESS. “Would tlie A.A. be able to urge the Government to use more cement instead of imported bitumen for roads?” was a. question asked by Air R. S. Finch at the meeting of the Whangarei Agency of the A.A. last night. Mr Finch referred to the fact that the Waipu road and others laid down in bitumen were cracking up, and that it was proposed to lay the Hikurangi road and a further stretch of the Mnnngatapere road in the same material. The Whangarei Borough Council had laid a stretch of road in Walton Street in concrete three inches thick, at a reasonable cost, and without any machinery or men with much experience in the work. The engineer had assured him that it would be possible to surface many roads with two inches i thickness, which brought the cost withjin the bounds of practical politics. It j seemed that not sufficient was being 1 done by the A.A. to urge the use of j home industries. Mr Grayson said that, in the first j place, the association had supported concrete, but had been told by the engineer of the Alain Highways Board that if New Zealand had to wait to get the necessary mileage done in [ concrete the present generation would ( be dead and gone. The cost per mile | was considered to be too great. Mr Grayson did not agree that two inches of concrete would stand up to the traffic. The association was told definitely that if motorists had to wait for concrete, only a very limited mileage would be done each year, and the result was, in the interests of the motorj ists, that the association had to accept sealed roads over as wide an area as possible. The cost was loss, and sealing saved metal wastage. It had been decided, after due consideration, that sealed roads would give greater mileage for the motorist. Mr Finch pointed out that Walton Street carried some of the heaviest traffic in the borough, and the surface was standing up to the test, despite the fact it was only three inches in thickness. He suggested ■ that the councillors should inspect the road and see for themselves. ■Mr Grayson said that they would be glad to inspect the new process, Avhich might provide a means of getting over the difficulty of the cost of concrete roads;. The members of the council inspected the Walton (Street strip this ■ morning and full data in connection | with the method of construction and j cost are to be obtained and the matter thoroughly investigated.