ROAD UNDER REPAIR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20669, 15 September 1930, Page 12

ROAD UNDER REPAIR.

DIFFICULTIES OF SETTLERS. DETOUR TRACK IMPASSABLE. EXPLANATION BY ENGINEER. "I am satisfied that wo liavo done all wo can to meet the requirements of local resilient s, and since wo have had no cooperation, wo can do no more," said Mr. S. Murray, engineer to tho Waitemata County Council, yesterday, in connection with complaints that, have been received concerning tho alleged inconvenience to settlers as a result of tho council's concreting operations on the Birkenhead Albany mufti highway. It is reported that, a committee of residents, who have become alarmed at being unable to uso the road, liavo communicated with tho lit. lion. .T. G. Coates, with a view to obtaining some relief from tho present situation.

"Tho only people who aro seriously affected by the work arc about seven residents whoso properties faco tho actual work," Mr. Murray said. "Tho road on which wo aro working is not the only outlet for residents of Albany and places further north, as thoy can nso the Takapuna East Coast Road, which makes tho distance from Albany to Dovonport only two and a-half miles longer than that front Albany to Birkenhead. Mr. Murray said tho track at the sido of tho work was mado for tho nso of the residents in the immediate vicinity, and not for tho travelling public in general. Deforo work was commenced on tho road, tho council advertised that the Albany-Birkenhead Road would bo closed for a period, and asked motorists to usn tho Takapuna East Coast Road. In spite of this request, motorists nsod tho track at tho sido of tho main road, rather than go a few miles out of their way, with tho result that before long tho sidetrack becamo impassable. "When wo saw it was impossiblo to keep through traffic off tho track, we decided that it was no use spending the ratepayers' money on a track which would only lie cut up again and again, and so wo did nothing further," Mr. Murray added. "If tho people living near tho work at any timo want anything taken in or out of their places, wo are only too pleased to help them. We have had no deiinito complaints concerning the condition of tho side-track, sinco wo started work, and if the travelling public had co-operated with us, and service cars had not continued to cut up tho side-track, tho present situation would not haw arisen."

Mr. Murray said it had been necessary to concrete tho whole width of tho road at once, instead of in two strips, as was tho caso wiLh somo processes. A previous pieco of road concreted by the method now in uso had been done in two strips, and had not been altogether satisfactory.