HIGHWAYS AND ROADS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19321, 7 May 1926, Page 14

HIGHWAYS AND ROADS.

NORTH AUCKLAND DISTRICT, BIG PROGRAMME AHEAD. A HOKIANGA COMPLAINT. [by telegraph.-—own correspondent.] WHANGAREI, Thursday. "What was to be (he order of sequence in the expenditure of grants affecting both the Hokianga and Bay of Islands Colintics?" asked Mr. R. B. Russell, chairman of the Hokianga County Council, at a meeting of the Highways District Council. He declared that Hokianga had spent £35,000 in making a road leading to the railhead, but in the Bay of Islands County there was ronghlv four miles to be completed before Hokianga gained the fuil benefit of its expenditure. There was a grant of £IBOO toward the cost of the work, and he said it should be taken up and expended. It was elicited that £4OO was in hand for this work and that Hokianga was prepared to pay 5s in (lie £ toward the cost. Mr. Jones moved that the Hay of Islands he asked to pay £750, and that the council endeavour to have the balance made free money from the Highways Board. It was also recommended that the work should take precedence over anything else in the Bay of Islands district. The motion was carried on the understanding that the programme be arranged to cover two years. It was recommended that the road from Kamo to Moengawahine be declared a highway, and to renew the application in regard to the road between Pakotai and Dargaville, via Tangowaliino and Awakino. It was nbo decided that application be made to have the section of the Whangarei to Dargavillo route between Tangitororia and the new Wheki Valley deviation, on the Whangarei side of the Waiotama Bridge, declared a Government road on a £4 to .1-1 basis for reconstruct ioi only. Between YYaimamaLu and Ohaeawai the Hokianga County Council has 35 miles of road to maintain, and it was resolved to recommend that this be declared a Government road on a £- to £1 basis for maintenance only. With reference to the estimates the allocation to the North Auckland district was £83,000. After dealing with applications totalling £147,000 for reconstruction it was decided to ask that that amount be made available, and the allocation of £27,253 for maintenance was approved. HUNTLY AND HAMILTON. DIFFICULT STRETCH TO KEEP. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN C.OKRESPON PE NT. ] HAMILTON. Thursday The Main South Road between Hunt.lv and Hamilton lias been extensively damaged lately as the result of heavy traffic and wet weather. Efforts have been made to keep the road repaired, but it seems that ordinary methods of patching arc inadequate to keep pace with the demands made upon the highway. Three heavy motor vans carrying merchandise are now running daily between Auckland and Hamilton, while the bus traffic between Hamilton and Huntly has also increased. The metal surface has been broken through in many places and the present indications are that it will not be long before the road is impassible. SURFACE AT MERC EE. IMPROVEMENT TO BE MADE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] MERCER, Thursday. Much-needed repairs to the section of the Great South Road running through Mercer are to be put in hand immediately The work is being carried out under the arrangement made some months ago between the Highways Council and the Mercer Town Board. Although the scope of the present work does not extend to the widening of the road, which, in the vicinity of the railway station, is urgently needed, the surface of the road is to he put in good order for motor traffic.