HIGHWAY IN CONCRETE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18742, 23 June 1924, Page 6

HIGHWAY IN CONCRETE

THE GREAT NORTH ROAD.

APPROVAL BY RATEPAYERS.

NEW LYNN AND GLEN EDEN.

OVERWHELMING MAJORITIES.

The scheme to pave the Great North Road in concrete from the city boundary at Point Chevalier to Henderson was further advanced on; Saturday when the ratepayers both of New Lynn and Glen Eden town . districts-, endorsed the proposal by overwhelming , majorities. At New Lynn 559 votes were cast in favour of the concrete road,, and only 18 against, while the voting at Glen Eden was 112 to 10. A week ago the-ratepayers of the Henderson town district also gave their support in a substantial majority. , V" It is proposed that the Auckland City Council should undertake the work of construction on behalf of the local bodies concerned, and ,also, find the money by lending to the local authorities their share for a period of 14 years at 6 per cent. There were, alternative routes for the main arterial road :to Avondale, namely, the New" North Road and the Great North Road, and the Main Highways Board has now' definitely decided in favour of the latter. This means that the total road length from Point Chevalier to Henderson will be 7f miles instead of 6£ miles if the New North Road were used'.

The total estimated cost, subject to revision on completion of the plans, was £50,0130 for the New North Road route, and £62,000 for the Great North Road route now officially sanctioned. The allocation of cost was set down at: Highways Board, 50 per cent. ; local authorities, Sniper cent. ; and the City Council, 17£ per cent. The local authorities, including the council, would therefore contribute £31,000, the council's • share being £10,850, while the Highways Board would find the other £31,000. The board, however, has now decided that it will not grant a greater subsidy than £30,000. The loan authorised by the New Lynn ratepayers on Saturday was £5000, for about 1£ miles of road, and in the case of Glen Eden the. amount was £2000, for 59 chains of road. Speaking after the poll, Mr. C. F. Gardner, chairman of the New Lynn Town Board, said the result' was most pleasing and would give an impetus to settlement in the western suburbs. The polling was far heavier than was anticipated, and indicated, that the suburbs were prepared for an era of progress. Avondale is one of the two remaining links in _ the chain. Ratepayers of that borough will be asked next month to sanction a loan of £7500 for the concrete road, the poll having been delayed until the Highways Board V made* its .decision regarding the route. : The poll .will be taken about July 19. The other, link is the , Waitemata, County Council, which has a strip of road between New Lynn and Henderson. The date of tho poll to be taken by this body has not yet been fixed, owing to uncertainty regarding the position of, county councils, as outlined in the Main Highways Act. Within the city, the Great North Road has been paved in concrete to the end of the second section. The remaining portion of the road, to the city boundary at Point Chevalier,' the length of which is something over a mile/ will eventually be concreted, but the matter has not yet been before the council.. ; Part of the road, from the tram-line to Western Springs is already being widened to 84 feet. ... ;,

WAITEMATA COUNTY roads.

ESTIMATES- FOR THREE 1 ROUTES.

In connection .with the, main highways scheme, the Waitemata County Council has forwarded the following estimates to the District Council of the Main Highways Board: — •' ■ > -' „ Auckland to : Helensville: Construction of concrete portion, £15,500; construction of bitumen portion, £105,000; maintenance, £4030. : ."' '. ' ' Birkenkead-Tahekeroa: , Construction of bitumen portion, £59,600 ; construction of macadamised portion,' £1440; maintenance, £870. v : ; «';••., Takapuna-Waiwera: Maintenance, £1500.