LESSONS FROM AMERICA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15120, 20 January 1920, Page 5

LESSONS FROM AMERICA.

CONCRETE, FOfr ROAD WORKS. ' One purpose which the Mayor of Auckland, Mr. J. H. Gunspp, kept.-in..-vieAV While on , his visit' to the United. States ;-Avas ebmparisort. of American; methods Avith those iri. use m New Zeailand, especially m regard to municipal matters (states^the Herald). Some of the facts- Athich he obserfed, in -conjunction., with, those noted by. the city engineer', Mr. .W* E. Bush, whb is. also m the,' United-f Stated on an, pfllciar "visit, will certainly be of value, 'to the* Auckland City Councilin regard to future miinioipal schemes, - ■■ As tl>e result of his experience of American roads—^he travelled over brick,, bitumen, wood-paved, and concrete highways — Mr. Gunson concludes that, taking everything ■'. into- • consideration, - and" •particularly the cost of work's m Auckland, concrete is the road of 'both the present and'- future as far as our maip thoroughfares are concerned. Tlie City Council is, m his opinion, quite satisfied m its policy of concrete road conf structiori. .Upon the stretch of highway paving he drove 350 miles m one day. Many of the, highways are paved only 15ft wide, upon the principle that it is better to pave a greater" distances to 15ft than a shorter distance to 20ft at the same cost. In fast and continuous traffio areas, however, . 20ft is now the standard; In ' the . cities and most suburbs the full width is paved. It is recognised that main paved roads are sound economically, and that they assist- at onco the areas, .directly served, and become a valuable asset, to the community at large. Canada, too, is alive to loading necessities, arid an enormous area of work is going on m both conn* trios. ' ________