MAIN HIGHWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19953, 23 May 1928, Page 12

MAIN HIGHWAYS.

METALLING OPERATIONS. AUCKLAND TO WHANGAREI. LARGE AMOUNT TO BE SPENT. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] ' WELLINGTON. Tuesday. At the monthly meeting of the Main Highways Board a large amount of business was dealt with. Following its policy to complete unmetalled sections of main highway the board dealt with two cases which are of considerable interest to motorists. These were the GisborneOpotiki, via Motu, main highway and the main highway from Bulls, via Taihape, to Ohakune. It is hoped the decisions arrived at by the board will ensuVe that the unmetalled gap of about six miles on the former and a similar length between Karioi and Waiouru on the latter will be metalled during the next construction season. With a view to giving a metalled connection from Auckland northward to Whangarci within the next few years the board has drawn up a programme of construction for next season which will involve the expenditure of a considerable sum. It is hoped during the coming summer to provide an all-weather route from Auckland to Waiwera. Local authorities adjacent to the larger centres of population are taking advantage of the preferential subsidies being offered by the board out of the proceeds of the petrol tax toward the cost of paving roads carrying dense traffic. The reconstruction of the portion of the Dunedin-Invercargill main highway immediately south of Dunedin is the first work in the Dunedin district on which the responsible county council has co-operated with the hoard and agreed to find a fair share of the cost. A report indicating that the present Bulls bridge over the Rangitikei River, on the main highway between Wellington and Wanganui, requires either extensivo repairs or renewal was before the board. The local authorities, who are at present contributing toward the cost of maintenance of this bridge, aro taking traffic tallies at the bridge site so that the allocation of the .cost can be dealt with. An application from the Christohurch Tramway Board for a subsidy on its expenditure on maintenance of such portions of the roadway as are covered by the tram tracks on main highways which are carrying heavy motor traffic, received consideration. It was decided to advise the Tramway Board that there is no authority under the Main Highways Act to make a subsidy available on expenditure incurred by the Tramway Board on maintenance. The Main Highways Board's subsidy is limited to the amount expended by the controlling authority on the roadway only.