MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20584, 6 December 1928, Page 17

MAIN HIGHWAYS.

MEETING OF No. 17 COUNCIL. A meeting of the District Highways Council No. 17 was held yesterday mornmg, and was attended by Messrs F. S. Dyson (Public Works engineer), D. E. Jack (Clutha), J. Bennetts (Tuapeka), Hunter Macandrew (Otago Peninsula), H. M. Driver (Bruce), and W. Blackie (Taieri). It -was intimated that the following wads bad beep declared main highways: —-Waipahi-Pomahaka and Owaka-Pure-kireki.—Nced. ■ ' i A communication was received from the Main Highways Board stating that the question of the declaration' of the following roads as main highways would be considered at the next annual review: —Waitepeka, Kaihiku road, Portobelio to Harrington Point,' Kaitangata to Lovell's Flat, Tuapeka Mouth to Evans Flat.—Noted. . An application was received from the clerk, of the Clutha County Council asking that the Owalia-Pounawea road should be declared a main highway. He also asked that the • Fopotunoa-Clihton road should be declared a main highway. —lt was decided to hold over the applications until the next annual review. A letter was received from the Bruce County Council forwarding applications for the declaration of the following roads as secondary highways :—Kaitangata Post Office to Wangaloa, Taieri Mouth toWaihola, Clarendon to Berwick, and Taieri Mouth, to Milton, vja Icon's Gully road.—Held over till the annual review. ' .

The Main Highways Board notified that it had been decided to subsidise tne the width of sealing on main highways in boroughs and town districts, in the busi T ness area, up to a width of 66 feet, and on the remaining portions the subsidy would be limited to a width of 30 feet.— Noted. ,

The Main Highways Board advised that under the Main Highways Amendment Act, 1928, authority had been granted to the board to increase its subsidy on any work, whether construction or maintenance, on any main highway without the necessity of ’ daring such main highway to be a Government road. In accordance, with this provision it had been decided that as from April 1, 1928, ’all expenditure on maintenance and all expenditure on new bridges would be f subsidised on a basis,of £2 for fl. The rate of subsidy for construction would e fl for £1 on work other than bridges. —Members agreed that the position was now very satisfactory. An application was received from the clerk of the Clutha County Council for the purchase d£ a rotary screen, through the Main • Highways Board,—The chairman said ho understood the machine would cost £350.—1t was decided to forward the application to the board.

The question of widening the water diversion tunnel near the Manuka'Creek railway station was held over, Mr Benzoni, railway engineer, to be written to to discover who is the responsible authority. The Railway Department offered lo pay £lO of an estimated total cost of £2O, but pointed out that jt had no actual authority to make, such a payment. Some discussion took place on the question of improving the, Waipahi-Pounawea road, The Clutha County Council asked for a subsidy of £5 for £1 on the road— Mr Jack pointed out that the road served the settlers on the Conical Hills road Mr Dyson said that the Public Works Department had spent £650 on the road. He thought the council was asking for quite a lot.—Members were agreed that the road was in a very bad state in wet weather.—On the motion of Mr Jack it was decided to ask the Highways Board for a subsidy of £3 for £l.

The Main Highways Board advised that Balclutha-Kaka Point, via Otenomomo, had been declared a main highway. Ihe Mam Highways Board wrote stating that it could not see its way to take over the section of the highway in the Green Island borough for a period of five or 10 years, but that while work was proceeding in the vicinity it was agreeable to maintain the section for the next year or two.

It was decided to support the application of the .Tuapeka County Council for financial assistance towards the cost of prevention of river encroachment at Island Block.

The Main Highways Board notified thai the use of Logan’s Point'metal by the Lawrence Borough Council' for the main tenance of Ross place would not he sub sidised at a rate higher than would ,be necessary to maintain the road with gravel from Wetherstones Creek—Mem hers agreed that the attitude of the board was quite fair, and the letter was re' ceived. '

A letter was received from the town" clerk of Mosgiel Borough Council asking the council to consider the question of the laying of a bituminous pavement through the borough on the same terms as had been extended to the Taieri county.—Mr Blackie said that his council had spent £I3OO during the years 1927 and 1928 on the mile and three-quarters of road to be dealt with. T' e council was asking for a subsidy of £3 for £l, as had been granted to the Taieri county. The cost of a high-class bituminous road would be about £7ooo.—After some discusson it was decided, bn the motion of Mr Blackie to obtain a report on the condition of the road and ascertain whether it would be possible to tar-seal the portion instead of laying down a bituminous surface, the probable cost of the tar-sealing to be also obtained.