NEW MAIN HIGHWAY

New Zealand Times, Volume LIV, Issue 12659, 20 January 1927, Page 4

NEW MAIN HIGHWAY

IMPORTANT MISSING LINK POVERTY BAY TO BAY OF PLENTY. Rapid progress has been made lately on tbe Waioeka road, which will eventually become a main highway between Poverty Bay and tbe Bay of Plenty. A three-mile contract, which was stipulated to be completed next August, will be finished at the end of February, so rapid has tbe progress been, and when this iB done only three miles witl be left to link up tbe two ends of the road. It is, therefore, very necessary that the Publio Works Department should now make a move and survey the remainder of tbe rqad and let a final contract before the present contractors remove all their gear and discharge 70 men now employed on the work. It would be a crying shame if the men were allowed to be discharged before tbe winter when another eontraot must be let within the next few months. There is every indication that there will be a fair amount of unemployment during the winter and, as praotically all the men could be kept on if a new contract were let, it is hoped by settlers that this will" be done. Owing to the stony nature of the country through which the road passes, most of the men could bo kept going throughout the winter and by the beginning of the summer the road would bo almost ready. When completed, it will make an alter-, native route between two districts for tourists and, although the Motu-Opotiki road is reckoned to contain the finest bush scenery irt New Zealand, the Wioeka road can present rugged scenery of another type, which is equally interesting. As much of the road has been hewn out of solid rook, metalling will be necessary only on portions and the metal obtained from the road itself will be sufficient to do this.