SCENIC HIGHWAY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19887, 15 March 1939, Page 4

SCENIC HIGHWAY

COAST ROUTE TO OPOTIKI AN ALL-WEATHER ROAD MUCH-IMPROVED PROSPECT PROGRESS OF BRIDGE WORK The prospects of the Coast scenic road connecting Gisborne and Opotiki becoming an all-weather route have been greatly improved as a result of the excellent progress that lias been made in recent months in the bridging of the many streams that are a feature of the route. If the present rate of activity is .maintained it is probable that before next Christmas most, if not .all, of the obstacles on the road will have been removed.

When the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, made an inspection of this: highway less than two years ago, there were no fewer than 15 open water crossings between Opotiki and Cape Runaway of sufficient size to impede traffic in the event of more than moderate rainfall. To-day there are only six of these crossings remaining, and l of the six, contracts have been let for the bridging of three and plans have been prepared for the remainder. Unexpected Delays

Between Cape Runaway and Hicks Bay ithere lias not been the same degree of progress, unexpected delays with the Whangaparaoa bridge, the absence of contractors in the district, and -the shortage of labour having created unforeseen difficulties. It is now hoped, however, that the Whangaparaoa bridge, which is over 300 ft. long, will be completed by the end of next month, and if a suggestion is adopted to use spans from the old Uawa River bridge for some of the other streams on this section, the worst crossings should be eliminated in ai comparatively short time. The largest bridge on the whole road, the Raukokore, over 600 ft. long, has been, under construction for more than two years, tout the work has been subjected to many delays and it is only now that the end is in. sight. It is hoped that the bridge also will be completed and open to traffic by the end of April. The fact thait this will be 18 months after the expiry of the original contract date for the completion- of the work gives some indication of the delay that has occurred.

Completed Bridges

Between the Raukokore and Opotiki four other bridges have been completed in recent weeks and, in addition, two fords near the Te Kaha School have been eliminated. The Waikanae and Punemutahuri bridges, near the Te Kaha butter factory, were completed at the end of January and are row open ito traffic. The Pakaranui bridge, .two miiles beyond Te Kaha, was completed on February 28 and the approaches will Be completed by the end of this month. In the meantime the Kiereu low-level bridge has been restored, this work consisting of raising what was left of the old bridge and using a steel truss span firom. the old Uawa bridge .to replace the spans that were washed away. Contracts have now been let to the one contractor for the Waikawa, Maraehako and Te Wai-iti bridges, 52, 56 and 59£ miles respectively from Opotiki. Work 'has started on the Waikawa, piles have been made for the second, and the steel is on hand for the third. It 'is expected that these three bridges will be completed by the end of June. This will leave only three crossings between Opotiki and Cape Runaway, the remaining ones being the Waiokaha, Tauranga and Mangatoetoe, for which tenders will be cailed in the near future in the expectation that the' last stream will be bridged before Christmas. Whangaparaoa Bridge No work has been done a't the other end of the road with the exception of that on the Whangaparaoa bridge at Cape Runaway. This work was started at the end of 1938, but was seriously delayed through flood damage. Now, however; three of the six spans have been completed, the next pier has been finished, and piles are oeing driven for the last one, the abutment on the other side of the .river being alt ready to take the final span. Between the Whangaparaoa and Hicks Bay there aic several other open .crossings, the largest being the Oweka River, but this presents less difficulty to traffic than some of the smaller, but deeper, ones. The worst stream is the Mangatutu, for which plans have been prepared for some time, the necessary funds voted, and the material procured. It has not been possible, however, to secure either contractors or labour for the work so that the start has been delayed. In the meantime surveys have been completed lor all the other streams, but no progress has been- possible owing to t)he shortage of skilled labour. It has now been suggested that four of these istreams could toe bridged effectively toy using the remaining spans from the old Uawa River bridge, which have been lying idle since the structure was dismantled. These spans, for -which there is no other practical use in the district, while possibly not ideal for modern bridges, would go.a tong way towards solving the problems on the length of road beyond Hicks Bay and would make a valuable contribution to the aim of making the Coast scenic highway an all-weather route.