WAIKAREMOANA HIGHWAY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19375, 13 July 1937, Page 4

WAIKAREMOANA HIGHWAY

MARKED IMPROVEMENT WORK STILL IN PROGRESS USE NOT ADVISED YET “A marked improvement has been made to the highway between Te Whaiti, a point 53 miles from Rotorua, and the junction of the road with the lake at Waikaremoana, a distance of about 95 miles," said the touring manager of the Automobile Association (Auckland), Mr. R. E. Champtaloup, when interviewed in Gisborne this morning in connection with the condition of the road linking Waikaremoana with Rotorua.

"The major portion of the reconstruction work has been completed and one noticeable feature is the section along the heights of the I-luiarua ridge, which was extremely tortuous and now offers fairly gooo visibility and easy curves," he said. "Approximately one hour has been cut off the "travelling time from Wairoa to Ruatahuna. A heavy construction programme is still in progress at Mount Tarapounamu, and as blasting is also in progress on the face .'of the hill, delays must be expected at odd times.

“Taking into account the very wet climate in these bush-clad regions, the actual condition of the travelling surface is quite reasonable, but for the time being the road is not being recommended for the casual jurist unaccustomed to that particular type of country.

“Additional reconstruction is to be put in hand immediately between the Mokau Falls and Lake House, and as the length of road constitutes a good deal of wet papa face it is thought that travelling conditions will be difficult during the period of that work.

The narrow and winding section on the Wairoa side of Lake House to the Outlet is also to be reconstructed by widening and cutting bade corners and generally improving the visibility.

“The streams last week were all negotiable without difficulty, but a certain amount of scouring takes place from time to time and this may lead to trouble for a motorist, who is- inclined to judge the depth of the water-courses from previous experience before the scouring took place. It was only during the wet weather that trouble was experienced with the streams in the Urewera Country, but it is hoped that next year bridges will be provided over the biggest of the open crossings.”