ROAD WORK ON NORTHERN HIGHWAYS

Northern Advocate, 30 November 1936, Page 5

ROAD WORK ON NORTHERN HIGHWAYS

iSpeclax to "Northern Advocate AUCKLAND, This Day.

Excavation work in connection with the construction of the deviation over the Albany Hill is now under way, and a Public Works Department camp has been established at Albany. The deviation, which begins at the Albany Hotel, will eliminate the bad portion of the hill and will make travelling conditions much easier for motorists. The deviation will have but three curves, two of ten chains, and one of 16 chains, as against some 27 bends on the . present hill road.

The old route is as steep as one-in-seven in places, but the new road will have an even grade' of one-in-15. The preliminary clearing'work was begun about a month ago and that of excavation has just been started, about 25 men being It-is expected the deviation will be sealed -before next spring.

The road from Auckland to Whangarei is marked by a series of road camps and the highway area is in various stages of reconstruction. The work in hand at present is the elimination of hairpin bends and steep grades on the Waiwera Hill, modern alignment and grading on Puhoi Hill, the straightening of the road approaching Puhoi junction and extensive reconstruction operations near Kaiwaka. This last work, which is not visible from the main highway at present, in in connection with the realignment of the main arterial route from Whangarei to Dargaville, and a shorter road to Whangarei by about seven miles will eliminate the Waipu Gorge and provide better travelling on the Dargaville route.

Other portions of the Northern highway that have received attention are Silverdale to Orewa, the flat at the back of Orewa Beach and the new deviation and realignment between Orewa and Hadfield Beach. Extensive work has also been undertaken in the Dome Valley, between Warkworth and Wellsford, and on Schedwy’s Hill.