£450,000 VOTED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23381, 24 June 1939, Page 17

£450,000 VOTED

NORTHERN HIGHWAYS PROGRESS OF IMPROVEMENTS MUCH WORK TO BE DONE [;iY TELECIUPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] WHANG ARM, Friday The gradual improvement of Northland highways under the influence of modern methods was detailed by Mr. R. H. Rack-wood, district engineer of the Public Works Department, in a report to the No. 1 District Highways Council at a meeting in Whangarei today. Mr. Packwood, who is chairman of the council, and members had concluded a three days' tour of the district. "Sealing is in hand throughout the district," said Mr. Packwood. "The work is widely dispersed, but an endeavour has been made to seal those stretches of highway which are troublesome and those which pass through residential areas." There were 236 miles of State highway and 600 miles of ordinary main highway in the district. Sealing completed at March 31. 1938, totalled 32 miles 22 chains, and in the 15 months since that date 17J miles had been added. A further ten miles of sealing was in hand. The proposals for the current year were for the preparation for sealing of about an additional 40 miles. "The condition of some of the old bridges is dangerous," Mr. Packwood continued. "Some of the most dangerous have been disposed of, and the program mo for the year deals with others which need attention. Overloading and speeding are very prevalent in some parts of the district, and vigilance is necessary, particularly with concentrated loads, such as timber. Those bridges were not designed to carry these heavy weights at high rates of speed, and some of them are only standing up through force of habit." An increase from £390,000 to £150,000 in the Main Highways Board grant for expenditure in North Auckland was notified. The chairman said that last year £390,000 had been voted, and expenditure amounted to £336.000. ■