HIGHWAY TO HAMILTON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20300, 6 July 1929, Page 14 (Supplement)

HIGHWAY TO HAMILTON.

THE DRURY SECTION. Tho Main Highways Board lias approved of tho Franklin County. Council's proposal for tho reconstruction in concrete of tho Great South Road between I'apakura and Bombay. This 7J miles of 'highway inclusive of the soctioti through Drury which was tho subject oF controversy. Tho engineer estimates that tho complete scheme will cost over £120,000. Tho Highways Board lias promised a subsidy of £3 for £1 and it now rests with tho county council to proceed with tho loan proposal to provido tho ratepayers' quota. .Tho scheme has been very carefully laid out, with mi oyo to the increase of traffic which -v%-i 11 result when the road is completed. 'After considering tho proposal known as tho Slippery Creek routo, the county derided in favour of tho lesser deviation shown in the plan 011 this page. ihc creek routo would havo avoided Drury township and would havo been 1 mile 31 i chains in length, or 19i chains shorter than the adopted scheme. Had tho Straight routo been adopted a saving of about £I4OO would havo been shown on construction, but tha, problem of maintaining tho old road through tho township 'would havo remained, and it is estimated that this would havo cost £2OO a year. , Tho adopted schomo shown in tho plan carries tho highway through the township as far as tho existing bad corner. At this point a deviation commences, and it should satisfy all modern highway requirements as far as visibility and safety 11x0 concerned. On tho proposed high•way tho sharpest curvo will havo a 6-chain radius and all grades will be easy, tho worst being two short lengths of 1 in 19 and lin 18. Two concrete bridges 100 ft. in length will bo required. Tho Slippcrv Creek route would have necessitated ono 300 ft . bridge. _ The now bridges are planned to bo 30ft. in width 111- ® clusivo of footpaths. Tho concrete paving for the whole 7-3-milo section will be 13ft. wide, with 4ft. tar-scaled shoulders—a total running surface of 26ft.. This section of road will involvo heavy construction work and completion cannot be expected next year. Tho engineer states that it will be necessary to metal tho new formation for a width of 14ft. nnd allow usage for at least a year before concrete is laid.Hi Subsidences will bo inevitable, and tho risk of laying eoncrcto too early cannot bo taken.

A.A.A. ACTIVITIES.

Tho touring manager of tho A.A.A., Mr. R. E. Clmmptaloup, and Mr. J. Park, of tho executive, havo been inspecting North Auckland road works this week. On Wednesday a meeting was addressed at Kawakawa. Details of projected work arc being obtained from tho engineers and these will bo incorporated in tho new road maps to bo issued in a few months. This system of obtaining first-hand knowledgo enables the A.A.A. to publish maps which imlicato tho exact position of reading programmes at tho time of issue. rudge-whitworth: cup. Bentley cars secured the first four places in the Grand Prix d'Eudurancc and Kudge-Whilworth Cup raco at Lo Mans 011 Juno 15 and 16. W. Barnato and If. J'.ivkin, tho well-known Bentley drivers, wero conspicuous, according to cablegram avlviee. Tho first Bentley broko tho record for tho raco in covering 2844 kilometres in tho 24 hours. Tho raco was an Anglo-American duel with a sprinkling of comparatively small French cars. There wero four litro Bentleys and ono sixcylinder 6£ litro. Two Alvis front-wheel drivo supercharged models wero ontered, and other British competitors wore a Lagonda, Lea-Francis and Invicta, Stutz, Chrysler, Du Pont and Oakland wero tho .American representatives.