EAST COAST ROAD WORK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19418, 28 August 1926, Page 12

EAST COAST ROAD WORK.

PROGRESS OF IMPROVEMENTS GISBORNE TO HICKS BAY, [BY TELEGEAPH.—-OWN CORRESPONDENT.] GISBORNE. Friday. Work on the main highways in Poverty Bay this season is, to a large extent, being concentrated on the East Coast Road, where £25,000 is to be spent on metalling and general improvements. •The metalling of this road has a very great effect on the coast trade, as far as Gisborna is concerned. Now that business firms are assured of getting their goods regularly by road, they are less inclined to deal through Auckland, as formerly was the case. 'For the first-season, cars , have been able to get: through to Ruatoria, a hundred miles from Gisborne, during the winter.

Last 'season the first coat of metal was completed on the seciion to Ruatoria. During the coming season work will be concentrated on bridging the many creeks, laying a second course of metal, and doing a certain amount of bitumen work north of' Ruatoria, • where the Rotokautuku Bridge' is being-erected across the Waiapu "River. The work will consist of reading 12. miles to the 'bridge and making the creek crossing safe through bridging. In another, season or two.it should be possible to get right through from Gisborne to Hicks Bay all the year round by motor-car.