LEVEL CROSSINGS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12455, 25 May 1926, Page 7

LEVEL CROSSINGS

The Alain Highways Board met on Thursday and Friday last, Mr C. J. McKenzie (acting-engineer-in-chief to the Public Works Department) jpresiding; when far-reaching decisions were arrived at in inaugurating a scheme for the elimination of level-crossings, and sentence was pronounced upon eight of the most dangerous of them, was received from the Railway Department that a sum of £25,000 has been made available as that department’s contribution towards the cost of eliminating the most dangerous level crossings on main highways. With a similar amount made available by the Main Highways Board and the local authorities concerned, a total of £50,000 should be available for expenditure on elimination of level-cross-ings on main highways. Subject to the local bodies interested finding a proportion of the cost, the Main Highways Board, in collaboration with the Railway Department, has decided on the elimination of the following crossings, and preliminary steps in this direction have been put in hand. 1. Auckland-Wellington via Taranaki : Grossing at Hawera—No. 7 Highway district. 2. Auckland-Wellington via Taranaki : Crossing at Turakina —No. 8 Highway district. 3. Auckland-Wellington via Taranaki : Crossing at Porirua—No. 9 Highway district. 4. Auckland-Wellington via Taranaki : Crossing at Paraparaumu—No. 9 Highway district.

EIGHT DEATH-TRAPS TO BE ELIMINATED £50,000 FUND TO BEGIN PORIRUA AND MACKAY’S INCLUDED The decision of the Main Highways Board—in conjunction with the Railway Department and the local authorities concerned—to eliminate eight of the most dangerous railway crossings in the Dominion forthwith, is news that will be received with considerable gratification by the North Island Motor Union and motorists in general. For many years the North Island Motor Union has been working towards that end, which is now in sight. Those crossings under the immediate ban include Mackay’s crossing, Paraparaumu, and Porirua. The Railway Department will find and it is expected that another ,will be provided by the Main Highways Board and local authorities.

5 Wellington-Napier via Wairarapa : Crossing at Piripiri—No. 5 Highway district. 6. Wellington-Napier via Wairarapa: Crossing at Matahiwi Hill—No. 5 Highway district. 7. Blenheim-Christchurch: Crossing at Weka Pass—No. 13 Highway district. 8. Dunedin-Christcliurch: Crossing at Tumai, north of Palmerston—No. 16 Highway district. Turakina crossing is about 24 miles south-east from Wanganui and in the Rnngitikei county. The Porirua crossing is just beyond the northern end of Porirua station, and 14 miles from Wellington. It is in Makara county, but in Otaki electoral district. It was at this crossing that William James Power, of Karori, was run down by a goods train on the afternoon of February 26th. ,He entered the car a moment or two before, and apparently failed to observe the approach of the train from Wellington. He was killed, Paraparaumu crossing is between two and three miles north of Paekakariki, and is regarded as particularly dangerous on account of the sharp rise up to the rails from the Wellington side and the nature of the approach from either side. Qn February 25th, William El'nest Fordhara was driving a load over the crossing, having with him his wife, and William Wallis, of Wellington, with his wife and daughter. The four adults were killed, and the child suffered severely from injury and shock.