NORTHERN HIGHWAY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18597, 7 January 1935, Page 11

NORTHERN HIGHWAY

* m;orv l L ! 5 WAIOEKA ROAD TROUBLE

TWO FORDS WASHED OUT

COMMUNICATION RESTORED

Conditions for travel on the Waioeka Valley section of the main north highway out of Poverty Bay were restored to normal to-day, and no further difficulty was expected providing there is no renewal of heavy rain. Two fords which were washed out as the result ot exceptionally heavy downpours three days ago mve been, reinstated, and in the course of a few days they should consolidate satisfactorily.

The restoration of communication on the Waioeka Valley road was made a job of major urgency on the part of the Public Works Department, and the men on the job, supplied by the Opotiki office of the department, also had the assistance of the A.A. patrol from Gisborne.

The wash-outs occurred at the crossings of Chilcott’s and McLely’s creeks, both near the Gisborne end of the valley, and the huge volume! of water coming down these two creeks was very slow in subsiding, owing to the high loved of the Waioeka Stream itself, into'which the creeks drain. Even after the main rush of water had lost its velocity, tlie depth of water in the wash-outs rendered the work difficult, and it was necessary to divert the flow in order to clear out tho debris and to institute filling operations.

Similar methods were followed in dealing with both creeks. Logs were pinned in position across the streams above the wasli-outs, and the water thus diverted so that the flow was directed upon sounder portions of the roadway. This manoeuvre exposed the washed-out portions of the fords, and made it possible to carry out repairs with a minimum of delay. Tho repairs involved a great deal of hard work, but were accomplished in good time, the streams of water from the creeks being then spread as much as possible over a wide section of road, ponding the return of the creeks to their normal summer levels. In both eases, the fords are now wide •but shallow enough for the passage of tho smaller types of cars, without risk of stalling in mid-stream. * Among the many interesting incidents of the restoration work was the recovery of a half-ton track which was partly submerged iia McLely’s crossing throughout the height of the flooding. The engine of this track was under water for many hours, but when tho vehicle was towed out yesterday and attention given to the carburettor, .magneto, and other especially vulnerable portions of the mechanism, the truck was driven off by its thankful owner under its own power. The incident furnished a striking instance of the durability of even the older vintages of English cars.