THE MOTU RIDING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14589, 26 April 1918, Page 6

THE MOTU RIDING.

■xv-ii ■ . -li^ . i v.- «*.*}■!:-'!(■ In his report^tp 'tn^„\v^aikohu County Council to-day On thej^otu rid»ng> the overseer stated :— , ■'-*'

1 Th6,f.*i^r crossings between Wailcohu [and Poututupfr. tlie: Slotu.. front road j were. v - again very ;. deeply , silted up, ; having been- tfpened; up -.-^only for,, a few jday9.'.b«tweeo^h^^-tfO:.jipQ4.B. I have ha,d them .nffWiiAcleane^ci out; for traffic.. This roiad ; isr blocked' for ; ;; vehicular traffic by Ithe 'fcreek 'crossings 4t 'Manga'tawa, ,Ra,ngiriri, an'd.^Wliakarau,.. while aii ; junction with Oliver road the: hillside is a mass of slips ; and ; fmbsidehces, ; Between Wliakarau dud l^rid^e J &7'th© road is; 'impassable, owing to. slips and washouts, but I 'hope to hstve thi*3. "open *m a few days. Three small strirger bridges on this road will require .'replacing. The Motu-Matawa'i •rjoad wa;s T '-rendered impassable by . slips between the front road junctioiV and Motu, anci! by. about 1000' y^ivds of earth '•■fjjiid'.- debris . 'from the railway fillings which '^havewa shed 'out. * I had. this road; opened for. < traffic as soon as possible, 1 although several' siilall bridges -which I had temporarily repaired will require ifenewihg 1 . 'The'.Mdtii' Falls' .road."' had about half a dozen larije slips and several small 'on^s dpwnV' "These hav6 all : been cleared, but the road between Fisher's sjind the falU*is tjlosed to vehicles through a ;'2oft.' span; -bridge having;, been completely.* washed away. ! The ! approach to ijliy faHg bridge' on 'the' Opotiki side hias beten 1 washed- out,' and the approach spdri Wi 'that Side has been twisted ' and broken. =. The' main and approach spans oii the'Mdtu: side' are .intact. The damage on Fraser road will take about a 'fortnight to -repair; • ."Th.e ! - bridge over the Mptti river at the Motu township has Keen completely washed down stream.The .-'Mtrtit valtey.road" was completely blbcked by 'about half a dozen big slips arid sevefal' washouts. . The road; s has bron opon to'- light * vehicular traffic for feev£ral dayd, and* "I hope to h^e •it ready for heavy carting m a few day?. I havp nqt^ yet' had word from the Prtblio Works DepartTrient' xc the timber for Kdraiiga bridge.* The Moanui road had Sditfe- pig &lips. down*,' which I am ivavittg rembvedi..' The main road -between .Mqta'wal" '-ind Otoko"' 'was. alright except fjiV a/*'f^'hlihor slips- and a slight seotjririi -to a. couple of small .bridges. TKe ■• Oti>kp - ljill' suffered • severely from slips Nbufc^has been opened for traffic THe.Olivelr road rat the* 'Whakaraai end is , imjStesiible, andf ; the bridge at Mac ? allan's v is unsafe for traffilr. ■'■■a : ,-.