THE HUTT ROAD

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11736, 25 January 1924, Page 7

THE HUTT ROAD

COST TO DATE ENGINEER SAYS “WAVES” WILL DISAPPEAR. PREMATURE CRITICISM UNFAIR. A meeting of the Hutt Road Board was held yesterday, those present being Messrs R. A. Wright (Mayor of Wellington) in the chair, J. W. McEwan (Mayor of Petone), W. T. Strand (Mayor of Lower Hutt), and E. Windley (chairman of Makara County Council). ENGINEER’S REPORT. The acting-city engineer reported that a commencement was made with the preparation work on December sth, and with the black base course on December 14th. For the first week the material for this course was supplied from the city' mixer, but on December 22nd the Cummer paving plant at Ngaliauranga was put into operation, and the two plants had been working continuously since that date. The preparation work had been completed to the two-mile peg, and was progressing beyond Ngaliauranga between the two-mil© and the 24-mile pegs. Th© building up and remetalling the edges against th© new pavement had been completed to th© one-mile pegThe new paving work was completed just beyond tho first mile peg, and a total area of 13,779 square yards had been laid. An area of 559 square y'ards of black base had been laid beyond the finished pavement. The width of the pavement for a distance of 736 feet through the Kaiwarra township had been increased from the 24ft width to a 30ft width. DELAYED BY RACE WEEK. Tho work of redecking the Kaiwarra bridge had been held in abeyance until next week. The material was on hand, but it was thought inadvisable to .commence the work during race week, when the traffic on th© Hutt road was considerably increased. The following plant and labour is at present employed on the Hutt road paving work : —Six steam rollers, two graders, one tractor, one bitumen kettle, on© steam wagon (water), three portable tool huts, four motor trucks, seven tractors, three steam wagons, and 90 men. A BREAKDOWN. Owing to a breakdown of the No. S unit at the Ngahauranga quarry, it was found necessary to procure a certain grad© of metal from Branda quarry. A new set of rollers had been now installed at Ngahauranga quarry, and a much better grade of metal is now procurable than previously obtained and at a cheaper rate. COST TO DATE. The engineer also submitted particulars of cost of the work to date as follows: —Wages, £2310 7s 4d ; metal, £856 16s fid; sand, £595 19s 3d; cement, £221 9s 8d; bitumen, £1214; fuel, etc., £543 5s lOd; Ransom© mixer, 30s per cubic yard, 720yd6, £1080; Cummer plant, royalty on 13,779 square yards at 6d per square yard, £344 9s lOd; transport, at 3d per square yard, 13,779 square yards, £172 4s lid; sundry accounts, £49 19s 7d ; plant hire, £4O; rent of site, £2B ss; total cost, £7456 17s lid. WAIT TILL FINISHED. Mr McEwen, who had just come into the city by motor, said that the road, so far as he could see, was in firstclass order. The waves whioh had been 60 much talked about were hardly discernible to the naked eye in the daytime, but were more noticeable at night, when, the strong lights from cars were deflected along the road for some distance. WAVES WILL DISAPPEAR. The engineer said it was rather pre- | mature to criticise the road before th© work was anything like completed, and the waves which had been referred to would disappear when the road was open for traffic. The report was adopted. A CONFERENCE. Steps are being taken to draw up a register of motor vehicles in the district covered by' the operations of the board, and this is well on the way. A conference of local bodies’ representatives is to take place early in February to consider the question of levying a uniform license for the whole of the districts concerned, the collection of the fees by one body, and the pooling of the amount collected and its application to the maintenance of arterial roads in the districts concerned.