GREAT SOUTH ROAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19372, 6 July 1926, Page 12

GREAT SOUTH ROAD.

THE ADOPTION OF CONCRETE.

SCHEMES WEARING FINALITY. HISTORY OF THE HIGHWAY. THREE POLLS THIS MONTH. With over four miles of the Great South Road already laid in concrete and with loans approved for another five miles, the future of the remaining six miles of the 16 miles stretch from Auckland to Papakura will be decided this month bypolls to be taken by the One Tree Hill lioad Board, Manukau County Council and the Papakura Town Board. The Papakura poll, to be taken to-mor-row, is for a loan of £15,500, of which £II,OOO is for concreting the board's section of 148 chains of the Great South Road. The estimated cost of this portion is £17,000, the additional £6OOO being the subsidy from the Main Highways Board.

The One Tree Hill Road Board poll will be taken to-morrow week. A loan of £24,350 will be sought for the two sections of the Great South Road from the Harp of Erin to Green Park Road, and from Church Street to St. Ann's Bridge, a total of 1 mile 47 chains. The. Manukau County poll will embrace the section of 2 miles 13 chaius in the Papakura and Wairoa ridings. It will be taken on July 29. The proposal is for £10,500. The county council's loan of £17,000 for the Papatoetoo riding sections of 1. mile 23 chains and 1 mile 10 chains were carried last April, when the Papatoetoe Town Board's proposal for the 72 chain portion was also approved. Sections Already Completed. The Great Sotith Road from Auckland to Papakura has achieved notoriety on account of its neglected condition. The completion in concrete of the city section up to the Harp of Erin only served to form a contrast with the remainder of this essential highway. The Otahuhu Borough Council and the Mount Wellington 'Road Board took the initiative, and before the end of last year these authorities had completed their sections of 1 mile 60 chains and 1 mile 22 chains respectively. The Mount Wellington share consisted of two pieces of 62 and 60 chains, the continuity of which was broken by an intervening 46rchain section under the authority oi the One Tree Hill Road Board. These two pieces cost about £16,422, the board paying £B4ll and the Main Highways Board £BOll. With the deplorable road which once l bisected the borough, Otahuhu was never attractive to motor traffic. The concrete! road has imparted a new prosperity to the main street. Within a few months; the shopping area has benefited by thci erection of several large business buildings.. In spite of the example of • these sections, the One Tree Hill Road Board last November submitted a bitumen proposal for .its two sections. This was defeated by a majority of over 100 per cent., indicating that the ratepayers were averse to bitumen highways. Since then the policy regarding the' stretch of 9 miles 28 chains from the Otahuhu boundary to Papakura has been discussed bctweeii the Main Highways Board and the fotir authorities responsible: This portion of the Great South Road, as well as those nearer the city under the jurisdiction of the One Tree Hill Road Board and the Ellerslie Town Board, has deteriorated until it is reputed to be the worst stretch of road between Auckland and Wellington. ! , Controversy Over Materials. The matter was precipitated last October when Wilsons Portland Cement, Ltd.,' offered to lay the stretch from Otahuha to Papakura for £90,410, or about £9OOO. a mile. The Main Highways Board considered that abitumen road would suffice and refused a 50 per cent, subsidy on a concrete proposal. The local bodies favoured concrete. The Main Highways Board, however, had estimates for a bitumen road prepared, these revealing that a bitumen road would cost about. £7700 a mile. The board accordingly agreed to pay a maximum subsidy of 50 per cent., or £3850 a mile, leaving the various bodies to choose between bitumen and cement concrete. The extra expense did not deflect the first choice and the Manukau County Council, Manurewa Town Board, Paputoetoe Town Board and Papakura Town Board have all formulated concrete schemes - The present position is that the Main. Highways Board's subsidy will be limited to £3850 a mile on all concrete beyond Otahuhu. Manurewa and Ellerslie. The Manurewa Town Board is responsible for two miles of the Great South Road, and has already raised £7300 by poll. Finality has, however, not been reached in regard to about half-a-mile of the road which it has been proposed to iay in bitumen. Controversy exists on this point and a recent meeting of ratepayers recorded a resolution that the entire scheme should be concrete. The Town Board is now considering this, and a small loan proposal to augment the money already authorised will be brought forward within a few days. The Ellerslie Town Board has obtained £7OOO by poll for its section of 55 chains passing the Penrose railway station and ending at the concrete laid by the Mount Wellington Road Board. Work is now proceeding here, and the concrete paving will be commenced within a fortnight and will be completed before November. In the meantime, traffic will be deviated, tihe direction being clearly marked by the Auckland Automobile Association. The financial arrangements for tihe Manukau County Council loan, recently authorised, are being made, and tenders will be called within a few weeks. The work on this portion is scheduled for completion next April. The polling booths to-morrow will toe the Town Board Office, Papakura and the Manukau County Chambers, corner of Princes and Shortland Streets, Auckland. The hours of polling are from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.