CITY’S SOUTHERN OUTLET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27450, 25 July 1950, Page 4

CITY’S SOUTHERN OUTLET

New Route Along Kaikorai Valley The proposed new southern highway giving access to Dunedin will not follow the present route through the Green Island Valley and over Saddle Hill. A statement to this effect was made by the chairman of the Works Committee, Cr Ireland, at the meeting of the Dunedin City Council last night. Cr Ireland said that the new southern outlet would link up somewhere with the Kaikorai Valley road, which was to be widened. He added that the Ministry of Works was reluctant to do anything to improve the present highway along the Green Island Valley and over Saddle Hill. “ It is recognised that a short cut to the Taieri aerodrome would be an asset to Dunedin,” Cr Ireland said.

He was speaking to a report by the Works Committee on the widening of the Kaikorai Valley road and the steps that had been taken to acquire frontages to enable the work to proceed. The report was adopted. Cr Ireland said that the specifications were now being drawn up to allow tenders to be called for the work of widening the Kaikorai Valley road. He said that a stretch from Taieri road to Fraser’s road was widened some time ago at a cost of £14,000. The next stretch ,to be done would be from Fraser’s road to Glenelg street, which would cost £35,000, as a bridge was needed, and the course of a stream would have* to be changed. The third step would be the widening of the road from Glenelg street to the city boundary. This would cost about £90,000 for a mile and a-half. It was intended that the new roadway would be 80 feet wide in parts.

with a sft medial strip and 9ft pathways .on either side. The chairman of the Finance Committee, Cr Taverner, said that the work was important, but the scheme was a long-term one,. He congratulated Cr Ireland on his planning oUthe development of the roadway. The Deputy Mayor,’ Cr Wright, said that the roadway would form a magnificent highway when it was completed. The Mayor, Sir Donald Cameron, said that the scheme was subject to the approval of the Finance Committee. Cr Ireland replied that a recommendation would come before the council when the work should be put in hand. Later, Cr Ireland referred to the increasing cost of maintenance on roads for which a petrol tax allocation was made. He suggested that efforts should be made to secure a greater allocation in districts where the topography of the country was difficult.