ROADS IN THE NORTH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21961, 19 November 1934, Page 12

ROADS IN THE NORTH

PREPARATIONS FOR SUMMER GOOD TO BAD CONDITIONS [by telegraph —OWN correspondent] KAITAIA, Saturday In preparation for the summer season the Mangonui County Council has relaid the deckboards leading from the metalled road to the hard sand on the Ahipara Beach at the southern end of the Ninety Mile Beach. In the winter months, when the sand is wet and fairly firm, the boards are taken up to avoid the possibility of their loss, but they are necessary in summer to enable cars to negotiate the loose, dry sand that separates the road from the firm sand of the beach. Th" marram grass planted by the Public Works Department on the sand between the road and high-water mark has taken root well, and this should gradually consolidate the surface. The road to Pandora is practically impassable, and even experienced motorists are advised not to use it. That leading to the eastern end of Spirits Bay is in fair order, but is in need of maintenance, small washouts and slips having occurred. The main road north is in fair condition as far as Houhora, but beyond that it is bad, and the route north is preferable. From AVaipapakauri to the Ninety Mile Beach, the road is in a very bad state, but the beach and Te Paki Creek are in good order and, so long as the ordinary beach rules are observed, quite safe for motorists. At the Ahipara end care js required in negotiating the creek. In reply to further representations from the "Mangonui County Council regarding the need for the continuance of work on the main road north of Waipapakauri, and the council's offer to subsidise such work to the extent of £IOO, the Minister of Public Works has replied that he had considered the proposals, but because of the present claims of what appear to be more urgent works, he regretted he was unable to continue expenditure on this road, as the allocation for the year had already been overspent. The position is now that, although a section of the road is completed between Waipapakauri and Houhora, a long length is left in an unfinished state and in rough order. REPLACEMENT OP BRIDGES NEW OREWA STRUCTURE [from our own correspondent] WARKWORTH. Saturday Within two mouths it is expected that the replacement of the last of the wooden bridges on the Main North Road with concrete structures will have been completed. The three largest and most important bridges, the Orewa, Waiwera and Puhoi, are within six miles of each other. The new Waiwera bridge has been in use for some considerable time, while the new bridge at Puhoi was opened to traffic last week. It is expected the work on the Orewa bridge will be completed before Christmas, and that, following completion of work on the approaches, occupying about a week or more, the new structure will be opened' to traffic early in the New \ ear. The second longest on the North Road, the new Orewa bridge, is 210 ft. long, with a centre span of 64ft. The approaches required over 5000 yards of material. They are straighter than originallv, the bad curve at the foot of the hill on the southern approach, the scene of two accidents just before Christmas last year, having been eliminated. The roadway is 20ft wide.