Strain on County Road Maintenance

Northern Advocate, 24 May 1939, Page 3

Strain on County Road Maintenance

Shortage of contractors and plant, especially power graders, had imposed an undue strain on the proper maintenance of existing metalled roads, remarked Mr J. A. S. Mac Kay, county chairman, when reporting to today’s meeting of the council.’ “The progress made during the last financial year in the construction and metalling of new roads has been very marked, but an undue strain has been imposed through a shortage of contractors and plant, especially in. power 1 graders, upon the proper maintenance of existing metalled roads,” he i said.

“As previously pointed out, motor traffic over our roads has greatly developed, evidenced by the increase in the number of drivers’ licenses issued, and in the substantial rise in heavy traffic license fees. In the last two years, drivers’ licenses ’have increased by 20 per cent., and heavy traffic by 30 per cent. “With the long spell of dry weather, and the fact that the power graders were pressed into new construction, the running surface of existing roads -suffered a setback. However, in order to cope with the position, the council has decided to increase its fleet of power graders.”