MAIN NORTH ROAD

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16261, 9 February 1927, Page 8

MAIN NORTH ROAD

PROPOSED OTOKO DEVIATION DIFFICULTIES TOO GREAT During the visit of the Alain Highways Board to Gisborne late in 1926 tlie members reviewed suggestions for improving the main north road ov.er the Otoko Hill, and on tho uninstalled m tions nearer tlie top end. One proposal was that tlie road might be devintec; from a point on the north side of O'oko Hill, and taken along the face of He range above the Waihuka utrerm, m stead of descending into the valley • ud effecting two crossings of the stream near the Otoko railway viaduct. It was thought that it might prove possib -> t 0 carry the road cm a new line, rejoining the old fine near trio Otoko station, but investigations made since tho vis;', of the Highways Board have pioved tliL to be a. very difficult, if not impossible., matter.

The root of the difficulty hes in the fact that two creeks, running in long, narrow gullies, traverse the proposed new lino of the road, and in addition *o adding length to tho route, would >'n volve cuttings and fillings that would be difficult to maintain. one of the duel troubles of road-builders in this district arises from the 1 ability of the surface to slip away from the papa country, price a cut is put into it, and it is feared that in the case of this deviation, it would le impossible to prevent the road slipping awriy. A considerable amount of trouble and money has been expended in consolidating 'the. existing road, and so far as is possible, the highway engineers are anxious not to disturb tlie status quo. The present line of the road, down from the saddle of the Otoko Hill and into the bed of Hie Waihuka stream, is steep and with bad corners in parts, and efforts will he made to improve it without departing from the existing line too greatly. One direction in which improvement.-, will lie sought, affects the last half-mile of the hill road, on the northern side, which is almost dangerously steep, if a new approach to the higher levels can ho found it will confer a boon upon tlie travelling public.