AUCKLAND HIGHWAYS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22086, 16 April 1935, Page 11

AUCKLAND HIGHWAYS

CONDITIONS FOR EASTER THE GREAT SOUTH ROAD OPENING RAMARAMA SECTION The "bugbear" of the Auckland highway district, the Pukekohe East detour, will be eliminated by the opening of the Rararama section of the Great South Road at five o'clock on Thursday afternoon. It is not - likely, according to the Automobile Association (Auckland), that the highway will bo closed again to complete minor details in connection with the reconstruction work. There will remain a certain extent of the new road which will not be tarsealed, and in the interests of the ultimate highway the association is making an appeal for speed not more than about 25 miles an hour to be observed over the unsealed portions on either side of Ramarama.

Preparation for the heavy volume of Easter traffic has been evident during the past week or so on the majority of the main highways, which, it is anticipated, will attract the greater proportion of holiday-makers. Many of the routes which have been the subject of complaint from road-users since Christmas are now in reasonable order, and Easter travellers should reach their destinations without discomfort. It is likely that larger numbers of motorists will visit Rotorua, Taupo and Nat .onal Park. Access to National Park by way of Taumarunui, which has been in an unsatisfactory condition for some weeks during reconstruction operations, is now considerably improved, the new pumice cuttings having received a light coating of metal. Improvements throughout the Bay of Plenty will also provide easier travelling., and in North Auckland the standard. of maintenance seems to be advancing steadily and producing much more pleasant touring conditions. As far as longer tours are concerned, the highways in the south below New Plymouth, Taihape and Napier possess generally much longer lengths of tarred surface than is yet common in the Nor:;h. Toe section between Sanson and Fox'xni has, however, become rather notorious, and, except after grading operations, is likely to produce discomfort for the lighter and slowermoving traffic. The ioad can be avoided by travelling the slightly-longer route through Paimerston North. The damage caused by the recent heavy weather on the East Coast has been overcome, and the highway between Gisborne and Wairoa, via Morsre, which was blocked during tho week-end, again provides normal condition^