ROADS IN THE NORTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20177, 11 February 1929, Page 11

ROADS IN THE NORTH.

HIGHWAYS BOARD'S TOUR.

WHANGAREI COUNTY NEEDS.

FINANCING IMPROVEMENTS.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WHANGAREI. Sunday.

The Main Highways Board left Kawakawa yesterday morning after conferring with the Bay of Islands County CouppiL The board travelled by the Towai route, which is closed to ordinary traffic. Here oxtensive formation work has been carried out. The bottom layer of metal ( has been laid and rolled and a large fleet, of motor-lorries is engaged in laying the, top coat of shingle. The work should j,,b© completed within a few weeks. . The Whangarei County Council met; the board at the Hukerunui boundary, where the board split into two parties, -.one taking the direct highway route to Whakapara and viewing the extensive fillings and formation work being done on this section. The other party travelled : by the VVaiota detour road. The HikurangiMarua and the Hikurangi-Jordan roads were inspected and then the board met the Hikurangi Town Board at Hikurangi. Wants of Hikurangi.

The Town Board's request that the dangerous corner at the north end of the township should be reconstructed received a reply that if proposals were put in the board would favourably consider a pound for pound subsidy. In reply to a request for a nioro permanent surface on- the highway through the town, members were emphatic that concrete was too expensive, but the district engineer, Mr. J. -McEnnis, is to inspect the road and see whether it could be bituminised.

The board proceeded to Whangarei and conferred with the County Couucil. Mr. F. McDonald urged that eight miles of the Hikurangi-Marua road should be declared a secondary highway,..and Mr. F. Elliott made a similar request for 4j miles of the Hikurangi-Jordan Road. Mr. A. E. Jull, acting-chairman of* the Highways Board, said the whole question of secondary highways was that a quarter of the petrol tux was allocated to these roads, with a view to giving relief to local taxation. About £4OOO 'additional miles of highway bad been declared and the cases in point—while the board gave no indication that the proposals would be agreed to—would be considered along with many other miles 0 of highway applied for. • r-Vv An Important Section. i* ..

Mr. L. Webb/chairman of the council, urged the adoption of a two-year programme for the completion of the Whaka-para-Hukerenui gap in tho main north highway, and requested the board to finance the council's share of the undertaking by advancing £2OOO for one year and a further £IOOO for two years. Mr. Jull • considered the request a reasonable one, and said that whenever possible the board was only too pleased to assist to expedite work. This form of financing had been done before, »nd he thought the application would receive sympathetic consideration, Mr. R. Alien asked that 21 miles of highway through the Mangakahia Valley be given a maintenance subsidy of £3 for £l. Mr. L. A. Johnson urged that a similar subsidy be given on the WhangarefTamaterau Road, which, he said,< had been recommended by the district council.

Dealing with these two requests, Mr. Jull said it would mean very considerable outlay and the re-casting of allocations. If the board agreed to tho requests, it would be inundated with applications,. However, the board would consider the applications. • . • Alternati% r e schemes for and tar-sealing on the Maungatapere highway, were submitted by Mr. F. Haywood. This road came under the category of roads adjacent to boroughs, for wnich 25 per cent, of the petrol tax was available. He urged that a concrete road be put down, or, failing that, a bitumen penetration surface. 4 Mr. Jull said the traffic tally of 260 vehicles per day did not warrant • concrete. The board would again go into the matter with a view to putting down a bitumen surface. , After inspecting the Tamateran highway, the board proceeded to Auckland this morning.

BOARD IN AUCKLAND.

MEETINGS WITH LOCAL BODIES.

The members of the Main Highways Board arrived in Auckland last evening from Whangarei. The party journeyed by motor-car and inspected the new work on the East Coast Road. The board will meet the Auckland Harbour Bridge Association this morning in the Chamber of Commerce at 11.15.1 Meetings will also" be held during the day with the representatives of the Waitemata County Council, the Northcote and Birkenhead Borough Councils, the Auckland Automobile Association and other Auckland local authorities. .