ROADS IN NORTH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22990, 18 March 1938, Page 16

ROADS IN NORTH

DIFFICULTY OF ACCESS MANY BRIDGES ROTTING FURTHER GRANTS REQUESTED [by telegraph —OWN correspondent] WHANGAREI, Thursday The need for raising the low-lying sections of tho roads in the Mama area abovo normal flood level was emphasised by a deputation to the Whangarei County Council yesterday. Due to school consolidation in the area, it was stated, a school bus now rail oil the Mania road, which was subject to flooding and became impassable after even short heavy rnin. When this occurred tho children would be stranded eight and n-lialf milos away from their homos. Parents in the area were very concerned about tho position. Flooding also interfered with cream collections and all traffic in the area. Highways Board Met As the road concerned is a secondary highway, the council placed the matter before the Highways Board, when the board members were met later on in the day. The council was informed that if plans and an estimate of the cost of tho work were submitted to the board, consideration of an increased subsidy over that usually allowed tor such work would lie given. . . A deputation from the _ Waiotira branch of the Fanners' Union which waited on the council requested that the two clav access roads in tho Waiotira-Waikiekie area of tho countv be metalled. These clay roads were holding up the progress of the district, as now settlors would not take up land on clav roads, and the State Advances Corporation did not consider farms on clay roads as sound security for advances, and, in one case, a farmer had to give up dairying because of this handicap. The council decided to make an application for .a Government grant to enable those access roads to be metalled. Contract Abandoned It was reported by the engineer, Mr. J. Norris, that the graders were fully extended preparing formation for metalling, and only a limited amount of maintenance work could be undertaken. Work on some roads was held up owing to labour not. being available. The case of a contractor who had abandoned his contract after metalling only a short section of the road was mentioned by Mr. Norris. This was a typical case of a new contractor breaking into this class of work with limited knowledge and resources. Similar conditions would often obtain in the future works, and tho council would have to consider its policy carefully for dealing with such tenderers. . Tho safety of the bridges in the county was an urgent matter, reported the engineer, as the fast, heavy traffic was too severe on tho old structures. There were many bridges scattered over the countv due for urgent renewals. The rotten state of the bridges was so general that some comprehensive policy should be decided on for action in regard to renewals.