STREET PAVING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18468, 1 February 1922, Page 2

STREET PAVING

A NOTABLE CITY IMPROVEMENT.

DUNEDIN LEADS THE WAY. When the campaign of street paving which is at present being carried out by the Public Works Committee of the City 'Coimoil is completed Dunedin will have streets second to none in the Southern Hemisphere. This is the first city south of the line to use Trinidad asphalt and to quote the words of Or Wilson (chairman of the Works Committee), who was interviewed on the subject yesterday by a Daily Times reporter, “no other city in New Zealand can* boast of .work so well done as that which has been done here.” No doubt,' however, they will not be long in following the lead of Dunedin. An important factor in the success of the work here has been the fact that the plant in use has been right up-to-date and that the work, which requires to be done on the most methodical and systematic'' lines, has been carried out under skilful supervision. The paving work now going on in Lower High street, Rattray street, and Cumberland street, is what it called modem pavement. The foundation is of . cement concrete and it, averages Tin in thickness, being about Bin think in the middle of the road and about 6in at the sides. In High street, which is occupied by a double line of tramway, the pavement stops at a distance of about Sin clear of the sleepers so that the track may be repaired at any time without disturbing the pavement. Outside the tram rails an old rail ia laid down as a boundary and against this boundary the new pavement is finished off in a thoroughly workmanlike and permanent manner. The tramway area between the rails will be paved with some loss permanent material! on account of the fact that the surface, has to be disturbed every time repairs or alterations are required. The wearing surface laid on the concrete foundation ia a thickness of 2in of Trinidad asphaltic cement concrete. This material, is mixed in the City Council’s new yard in Ward street by means of the machinery which was erected there specially for the purpose- It is most carefully proportioned so that the mixture contains certain fixed quantities of sand of various sizes and broken stone of various sizes. These are heated to a temperature of from 300 degrees to 350 degrees Fah., and then, carefully weighed in the correct proportions. A certain quantity of limestone dust is added hot and then the proper quantity of asphaltic cement is put in and the whole thoroughly mixed. From the yard it is taken in motor lorries to the place where the street paving is going forward. Here it is carefully spread on the concrete with shovels and rakes to a thickness that when rolled gives the 2in wearing surface already mentioned. 'The'mixing machinery which was designed to prepare sufficient material for laying 800 square yards of a 2in wearing surface in a 10-hour American day has been much improved since it landed here, and is now capable of doing considerably more. Thus on Monday, in a working day of eight hours 898 square yards were laid. The quality of the work is of the very highest and strangers entering the town from the railway station or from the wharve a will shortly have an area of paved streets spread out before them such as is not to be seen in any other town in the dominion. Local residents will greatly appreciate the improvement because it will vastly minimise the dust nuisance in summer and the pven more objectionable mud nuisance in winter. During the present summer it is hoped to complete Lower High street, Rattray street, from the Fountain to the orosswnorf, and the block in Cumberland street between Stuart street •> and St. Andrew street. When winter sets in Wharf street between the railway sheds will be paved with concrete and stone pitches; Trinidad asphalt not being regarded as suitable for this work on account of the nature of the traffic.. The committee also had on hand a large quantity of residual asphalt which will be used for all small intersecting streets adjacent to the main street, and also for paving' King street, Bond street, and Crawford street. When this .work,’ is done the present ' dust nuisance wilT be much abated, and Mr M“Curdle should have muoh reason to be proud of his streets.