HUTT DRAINAGE

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12315, 9 December 1925, Page 4

HUTT DRAINAGE

FifrY THOUSAND POUND SCHEME NEW TUNNEL ROUTE TO WAIRARAPA CONFERENCE TO BE CALLED At the monthly meeting of the Hntt County Council yesterday, Councillor MoKay presiding. Councillor Blackley, of Mangaroa, the newly-elected member, was welcomed. The report of the county engineer stated that general maintenance work had been carried on. The roadman’s cottage at Belmont had been completed, and was now in occupation, and a similar cottage would be erected at Wainui-o-mata. The bituminous work on the Upper Hutt-Akatarawa section was proceeding satisfactorily, and altogether 45 chains of pavement had been completed, except for the sealing coat. Flans had been prepared for a reinforced concrete bridge at Silverstream, and were being submitted to the Main Highways Board. Work on the Hay’s Bay road was nearing completion, and the contractor was finishing the widening between Point Howard and the county boundary.

The report was adopted. A special report was presented by the engineer, dealing with the levels of the main drain through the Wai-nai-o-mata drainage district. Tho total length from its commencement as a public drain to the "Wainui road bridge was 241 chains, which included 36 ehains of natural creek bed. The area, drained was about three square miles, and one inch of rain _ oyer this area was equal to seven million cubic feet of water, and low-lying ground must ’be flooded when the rainfall was-more than one inch in twelve hours. To prevent this it was necessary either to increase the carrying capacity of the drain or to construct additional drains.' and the engineer recommended the latter course, if the cost to the ratepayers was not exoessive. The recommendation was approved.

THE TUNNEL PROPOSAL ( The proposal to construct a traffic tunnel through the Wainui Hill was also discussed. “I have had a traverse -and levels taken over the kill".” said the county engineer (Mr A. H. Benham), “and have had a plan prepared, showing the information obtained.” Having given in detail particulars of the plan, he concluded: ‘‘From an inspection of the alignment of this road I do 'not consider that any extraordinary difficulties would present themselves. My preliminary estimate for 24ft wide approach roads, metalled to 18ft, and a two-way traffic tunnel, is £50,000.” • Councillor D. It. Hoggard said that the tunnel would not he justified, except as part of a scheme for a lowlevel route tc the Wairarapa, and such a scheme could he carried through fairly ‘cheaply, Having regard to its advantages. To reach the Wairarapa at present, one had to .cross the Mungaroa Hill, 1000 ft above sea-level, drop down into the Pakuratahi Valley, and then climb the Rimutaka | TTBI, 1800 ft above sea-level. Through the proposed tunnel the route would go by Wainui-o-mata and the coast, and by the Western Lake road to Featherston. The distance from Featherston to Wellington would be twenty miles longer than at present, but against that, the highest point would he only 400 ft above sea-level-The principal item of expense would he the, tunnel which was estimated to cost £50,000. A new road of 15 miles, which would not cost more than £25,000, would he required from the Orongorongo Valley, _ hut there were no serious difficultiesin the' way of its construction. The road would cost about £2OOO per mile to surface with bitumen on the penetration system. The speaker thought that a bitumen surface would not cost more than £120,000, and the total cost of a bitumen road from Lower Hutt to Featherston, including the tunnel, would not cost more than £IBO,OOO. This sum was a mere trifle eomoared with the cost (£l,250,000) of the railway tunnel from Mangaroa to Cross Creek. He moved that delegates from tho local bodies interested and from the Public Works Department: and the Main Highways Board he invited to attend a conference in the council’s office at some convenient date in February. _ The motion was seconded by the chairman and carried.