HIGHWAYS VOTES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19693, 27 July 1938, Page 4

HIGHWAYS VOTES

SUBSTANTIAL OUTLAY

EXTENSION OF SEALING

RECONSTRUCTION PLANS

MANY BRIDGE! JOBS GOING

There should be few complaints regarding the provision made for the No. 4 Highways Dis'iriet in the public works estimates laid .before the House of 'Representatives in Wellington yesterday afternoon. The capacities of the Public Works Department's organisation in the district will be taxed 'to carry out the full programme of expenditure outlined in the official list of votes, it was learned to-day from the districi engineer, Mi-. O. G. Thornton.

Reviewing the outstanding items in the estimates us applying to Ihe No. 4 highways district, Mr. Thornton drew attention, to the provision of substantial sums for the Gis-bome-iMatawai route. Between Orrnond and Kaitaratahi, £4OOO is to be available for 'bitumen work, on account, and a further £2OOO is provided for bitumen surfacing 'between the Kaitaratahi bridge site and Scott's homestead at Waipaoa.

The Kaitaratahi 'bridge itself is the subjedt of a vote of £14.000 for completion, and £2500 is on the estimates for the replacement of Scott's bridge, a mile northward, where a deviation and culverts will improve the route substantially.

On Otoko Hill, running down to Gold Creek, a mechanised reconstruction job is to be put in hand this season, and for this £5250, on account, is available. Funds are also voted for the completion of the road and rail bridge by the construction of a deviation' at Waikohu, where two new bridges have been built during 'the past

East Coast Route

On the East Coast route, Gisborne to Te Araroa, the largest individual vote is £23,000 to cover the balance of the outlay on tar-sealing between Makarori and Pouawa. The Tatapoun slip comes into this section, and probablv will have to ,be left in the meantime until the subsidence has stopped, but there is a great deal of work still to be done ayari from this, under a contract let to Mr. W. S. Goosman two years ago. The job has been interrupted frequently by demands for the machinery in use there for emergancy work elsewhere. Last year £9327 was expended on the section. Cleaning-up votes are included in connection with a number of other jobs on the Gisborne-Te Araroa highway these including £2500 for the Uaw'a, River bridge at Tolaga Bay. There is £4500 voted for the Raponga bridge iob, on which the contractors are now engaged, and £2500 Is on hand for regrading work at points further on where the road has been , ibject to silting in Hood-periods. The Mungapuketea bridge, at the foot ol Busby's Hill, near Tokomaru Bay. is the subject of a £IOOO vote, on account, plans for this bridge being now in hand.

Reconstruction and sealing in Tokomaru Bay township will take £3412. •>nd sealing at Te Puia will be covered by a vote of £IOOO. Re-alignment of the"highway at Takapau, to avoid a repetition of silting trouble, will be covered by a £9OO vote.

Hangaroa Bitumen Work

The sum of £16,540 provided for maintenance of the Gisborne-Wairoa, .■ia Hangaroa, route includes provision for flood-damage restoration, and .here are other large sums voted for .he continuance of reconstruction and ;ealing work. Between 17 and 19 miles, adjacent to the Waerenga-o-kuri Hotel, £7035 is to be expended on this work; £ooot is provided as part cost of similar operations on a further section of two and a half miles. On Harris' Hill, ovei a distance of four miles, an application of a sealing coat will be made at a cost of £2103, this being in completion of a contract commenced some time ago. but held lip owing to shortage of materials.

The Avondale suspension bridge, for A'hich £4OO is voted on account, is of general interest; and £1221 is available for highway improvement and tar-sealing in extension of work commenced last year between 25.8 miles and 27.8 miles. The sum of £7OOO is ied for simijar work for two and a half miles beyond the Hangaroa turnoff. A sum of £2OO is placed on the estimates on account of a small bridge at Grey's creek.

Morere Road Improvement

On the Gisborne-Wairoa road, via Morerc, £9243 is provided for maintenance. A deviation at McDowell's corner, to eliminate two right-angled turns, is to be undertaken, the Main Highways Board providing £IOSO, at the rate Of £3 for £l. Realignment of the road at Adair's corner will absorb £2BOO, a free grant. Several bridge jobs on this route include the Wairekaia Stream bridge, for which £3OIO is voted; the Maraetaha No. 1 bridge near Mr. Murphy's, which was washed away in the February flood and for which £750 on account is voted; and the Mangakaiwharangi bridge, at Bartlett's, for which £I7OO is voted on account. A minor deviation of the highway is to be made at Bartlett's to fit in with the site chosen for a new bridge, £IOOO being voted for the deviation. Onotiki-Te Araroa Highway

On the Opotiki-Te Araroa main highway, bridge jobs still command the chief interest. For the Whangaparoa Stream 'bridge, a job which has presented many difficulties to the department, £3500 is voted. The Mangatutu bridge is the subject of a vote of £2500, on account, plans having recently been completed for this structure. The bridging of the Nukutuharua Stream is another difficult proposition, in regard to which plans have not yet been completed, and for which £IOOO is voted on account.

Other votes of general interest throughout the district include £IBOO for repairs to sealing work at Tokomaru Bay; £1545, £3 for £l, for scaling in 'Ruatoria township; £2400, £4 for £l. for the replacement of the Wigan. bridge on the Tolaga-Tauwhare-parae road; £2175, £3 for £l, for the bridging of the Mangakino Stream near Rua'toria; and £SOO for the Pauariki bridge on the Tokomaru-Mata road.