RODNEY COUNTY COUNCIL

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, 4 December 1929, Page 5

RODNEY COUNTY COUNCIL

ENGINEER'S REPORT.

(Adopted at last meeting.")

I have the honor to present here with my report for the period ended 19th November, 1929. The weather for the time of the year has been the worst experienced for many years, so that a lot of work has been held'up, and earthwork aud grading already done has suffered considerable dam age. Fortunately, in this respect, not much grading has been done. Minor damage by slips has been incurred, but not enough to interfere witn traffic. Albert Riding.— 54 c. yards of maintenance metal has been put on at Te .4ana. A portion of the Te Haua Silver Hill road is in a shocking state, due to the tramping of a herd of cows. The proposal to extend metal ou this road to the top of the grade from Wolf's bridge will involve only 2£ chains. The contractor on the Tauhoa Wellsford road at Oleasby's hill is now at last practically finished. The metalling proposal has been returned approved, aud authority is now iv hand, so an early (start can be made. Field work for the new grant for earthwork will be undertaken as soon as possible. A loose metal surface is being put on portion of the Port Albert Wellsford Main Highway. The bridge foreman will take soundings at Kokako bridge next week with a view to early repairs. Aka'i Ridino.— 120 yards of patch ing metal have been placed on the Te Hana Topuni secti>n, portions of which were re-conditioned by the P.W.D. power grader. On the Te Hana Touiorata Highway 200 c. yards have been delivered, some beiug dumped. The deviation plan of this route is ready for your consideration. The survey imludes t'»e proposed deviation of the Fairy Hill roa.l. The earthwork contract at Murfitt's hill is practically completed, and a start will be made forthwirh with trimming for metal at Te Arai Post Office. Bud weather has held up the Te Arai Point road earthwork contract. With thw surveyor hem this mouth it is hoped to get the deviation plan of this r> ad in order. Th& amount >of material available for metalling is roughly 1600 c yards. The matter-of grading team has not yel been nettled HoTKO Riding.—Repairs to sandstone on Way by Fiat have commenced, but wet weather seriously interfered with this work. Such is the case with the Wellsford Whaugaripo metalling, so it has bean necessary to arrange foi tliu breaking aud hauling of about 100 yards of sandstone spauls to pro * iiie a foundation at severnl places that will not stand up to tho traffic. The contractor at Petrie's has done considerable stripping, but crushed very little metal no far. Further discing of clay surface was carried out, but the heavy rains soou nullified the good that was done. Repairs to Petrie's culvert and Fyfe's bridge were completed early in the month. A slip occurred at the Waiteitei Bluff, but it was cleared after a few da>'a work. The Hoteo North metalling proposal has been returned approved, ami Mr Brakenrig is engaged on a survey of the Matakana Whaugaiipo hill, where there is a Government graut providing for improvement of corners. Coutract 288 for deliveiiug limestone from Wichuian's quairy aad for which no tenders were received last month has beeu let to Air A. (i. Anderson, Wells ford. Kaipaka Riding.—The weather has beeu much agaiust anything in the way of grading, and now quite a number, of slips have to be suifted, the largest boing oh Dunninghaui's deviation. Somn damage was dove in the Ahuioa Woodcocks Valley by the blocking of culverts Owing to cou tin lied bad weather I have been unable to do any suivey work at Maka rau. Mason's bridge proposal has gone forward for approval. . Teuder-s for .Sumey-creek bridge aud GHenuy's bridge have hewn called. Approved proposals have been returned foi Auur.»a Komokoriki metalling aud th >se for' Putaui |Ut have gone t<»t watd Kouhawhero Riding.—The en iless matter of metal maintenance on the Kaipara Fluts road is still in hand, mis time on the Kaipara end, which is receiving its annual quota of metal. Iv order to prevent the rapid pot hoi ing ot the tuatal on the decks of the Oueliuiiga aud Pikoko bridges 1 think it would be advisable to treat them with Lajkold. This should also be done with Ellis' bridge which has a new wooden deck but the approadieare bad. During the uiouth I hud a unique opportunity of studying flood

levels on this road when it was blocked for traffic for 24 hours, and I would urge that we consider the matter of improvement very fully whea framing our next year's estimates. Considerable quantities ■of loose metal were washed off all along this road by flood waters, but it was possible to recover a good deal of this and cart more from the biu at the wharf.- Tbe • weather has been too unsettled to commence gradiDg, and earthwork at Upper Onehunga bridge is held up and, moreover, causing bother to trafficSeveral, slips came down on the Woodcocks Ahuroa road and portions had to be cleared to let the traffic past. On the Kaipara Hills a surfaceman wad busy duriug the rain. Two metalling proposals have been returned approved one has not yet been returned and a fourth is in course of preparation. Several attempts were made during the month to cloar the sandstone dumps at Hoteo but all were frustrated by rain, the work is now in. progress. The sandstone called for last month at Linton's quarry will not now be required as permission has been obtained from the Department to use Tauraroa metal for ti.e base course. On the section Hote.i Kaipara Flats, where no trimming has been done, I have arranged with Mr T. A. Gubb as a modification of his tender for contract 2H4, to place 305 yds of 3 inch saudstoue in position for 9s per yard. Matakana Biding. — Grading has been commenced-«>n the Mahurangi Boad and until the weather settles definitely attention will be confined to the lighter traffic roads. The suiveyi.r will be engaged this week on a survey of r.ad. He is at present at Katavich's corner. The proposal for metalling on Warkworth to Mahu rangi road has been returned approved likewise Omaha Flats 18 chains; and Takatu road 18 chains. Delivery of maintenance metal from Rogers' quarry will commence, I hope, next week, and the re giading of Melville's hill will be timed to suit. The bridge foreiuau has made an inspection of (Stewart's bridge on Goatley's road and reports that touiiiiing will meet the case. burface work is being done preuaiatoiy to grading on Waiwhiu hill toad Omaha Biding —The contractor has made a start on the Pakiri Biver road earthwork. Pipes for extension to ,culverts havo beea ordered. • The bridge foreman has effected repairs to ihe Bheetiug of /flams' culvert, but some, mote lilliug requires to be done Air JtJrakeurig is engaged oa the Leigh Pakiri hih proposal. The culveits in this section am iv a very bad order several being badly undermined. The bridge fotemau is at work on the Ltugu quarry culvert wall which has had to be built right up from a looting iv the solid. The accepted tender tor .Rogers' quarry contract has been returueu approved and the contractor notified ti» atarr; forthwith. The weather uas been Uto bad to uudertake earthwork, on Ti Point<ro*td where it had been iutended to mttKe an early start. Puhoi Biding —Sandstone is being broken out iv Pigeon Corner quarry to re-uondition the length at .tinglehard's bridge. A lurther washout lias occuned at the liist culvert on the Puhoi Ahuroa road and a little higher up similar ttouble is thieaceniug. The culveiis on the whuie of the section require a thorough overhaul. The bad weather and tne traffic has made it so Uiat little evidence is left of the grading ou the Ahuroa side. A pro pusai has been sent forward for the metaJ'jng work on the hiii and tenders called ior improving s comers. T.vuhqa Kiding. — Alrfintentince metai lor, Tauhoa Hoteu sectiou 480 c. yds. has all come to hand. Early provision will also have to bo made for uiamteuauce at Wharehiue. I have arranged for some eai.thwork improvemeut on the . Ma'iigakura Section. Gradiug has been arranged for with. the same outfit as last;, year aud a start will be made t<* day on the Tauhoa 'Wttllstotii lengtu. The ruu road will be done next The bridge foreman will d ■> Banum's bridge repairs this moutu —A. J.i^iw, Uouuty i3]ugiu«er.