PUKEKOHE DEVIATION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21961, 19 November 1934, Page 11

PUKEKOHE DEVIATION

ROUGH ROAD SURFACE MOTORISTS COMPLAIN The condition of the Pukekohe East deviation round the portion of the Great South Road between Rui\ciman find Bombay, now under reconstruction, was the subject of unfavourable comDient by the touring manager of the Automobile Association, Mr. R. E. Champtaloup, last evening, on his return from a tour of the King Country, Pongatau Gorge and Taranaki districts. Mr. Champtaloup said the surface of the deviation was very rough and lumpy in places and that he had observed several drivers of small cars obviously afraid of the high-crowned road. A certain amount of improvement work was in hand on the detour, but this was mostly in the nature of building up shoulders and widening. Mr. Champtaloup thought this would be of more permanent benefit to the Franklin County than immediate relief to the highway users of the detour road, who were contributing the major portion of the expenditure. Mr. A. Grayson, president of the Automobile Association, said last evening his executive was of the opinion that the detour should have been put in better condition before the reconstruction of the Great South Road was commenced and the highway closed for traffic. Judging from the complaints received by the association, it was apparent that the running surface was not receiving the maintenance necessary to satisfv motorists.

The Automobile Association, said Mr. Grayson, would immediately renew its representations to the Main Highways Board in an endeavour to have arrangements made to ensure that more attention would be given to the rights of the general public using the route.