MAIN ROAD PROGRAMME

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17178, 7 February 1930, Page 2

MAIN ROAD PROGRAMME

OOAST AND HANGrAROA WORKS 9?0 COST OVER £100.0t)0 Extensive work is scheduled on the, main highway along the'Coast and that to Wairoa via Hangaroa, and according to .present plans the total cost is likely to exceed £IOO,OOO. The expenditure of this -money is to lie over a period estimated at from two to three years, and preparations are being made to make a start this year. An agreement has been reached with the Cook County Council With regard to its contributions to the works, which are to be undertaken by tho Main Highways Board, but arrange ments have yet to* be completed with the Uawi* County Council in connection with the programme at the Tolaga Bay end >? the Coast road. The Highways Board plans to bituminise the Coast road from the end of the present bitumen at Wainui to iolaga Bay, and the final stages of an ■igreement between the board and the Uawtt Coonty Council ace now being awaited. ' The matter of metal supplies has been engaging the attention of the board's officials, and investigations are to be carried out in connection with procuring supplies from either Hicks Bay or Motuhora. It is likely that little work will be done this summer beyond the dumping of metal at some central points in readiness for carting on to the roads at suitable opportunities, according to information made available to-day by the Ibsttrjct Engineer, Mr. O. G. Thorn ton. In the bituminising of the coast road, the old road Kpn is to be followed except over a few small stretches. A small dc viat/on is to be made where the road traverses the Makarori creek at the northern end of Wainni beach, while a few other minor deviations are also provide! for in the estimates. In addition. a few of the curves ore to be improved, but the amount of new road construction to be attemped will be very small indeed. It "is likely thai a start will be made with the Hn&garoa road metalling this summer, althmigh only a small stretch will be possible of achievement thii season. Between Hangaroa and Tinitoto, at the Tinitoto end, there is o stretch' of about JS.J miles still to be metalled, while on tl*- Wairoa side o! Tiniroto about a mile and a half has to be done. It is thought that it may I) possible to have about half a mill metalled before the winter, but a prope start will not be made until next summer. At present supplies are' being secured from the llnugaroa "River, and although it is not known whether there will be sufficient, easily accessible , there to compete the work, there should be enough within a comparatively small radius for prcfient requirements. In connection the road on the Wairoa side 'of Tiniroto, it is pointed ;>ut that a rough stretch of cobble stone? is likely to 'bo pulled up in the near future, the.present stone in the road to be crushed and replaced with the. nddi tinn of further metal. In conjunction wilh this, the road may be formed to a better alignment