MANY POTHOLES IN ROADS

Southland Times, Issue 24153, 15 June 1940, Page 9

MANY POTHOLES IN ROADS

Gravelled Surfaces In County MONTH OF MAY BAD FOR MAINTENANCE “The month of May was a very bad month for gravelled roads, due to the continuous wet surfaces, and the consequent potholing,” stated the engineer of the Southland County Council (Mr G. R. Milward) in his monthly report to the council yesterday. “As the various riding reports indicate, the continued spell of wet weather has found many weaknesses in culverts, necessitating a considerable amount of work of this class.” Following is an account of the activities in the various ridings:— WAIHOPAI The inner riding gang was employed on the following works:—Taking delivery of clay, Stanley township road; general patching work on Longbush South road, Massey’s tramway road, Invercargill-Fortrose highway, Clearwater road, Kennington-Waikawa highway, Rimu factory road, and the installation of a 6in pipe culvert on Ryan’s road. A 6in pipe culvert was also installed on the Kennington-Wai-matua road, and the renewal of a pipe culvert was carried out on the Ken-nington-Waikawa highway; also the renewal of box culvert with 24in pipes on Rimu factory road, and the renewal of box culvert with 9in pipes on Colyer’s road. The outer riding gang repaired a culvert on Shepherd road, and bridge repairs were carried out on Swain’s road and Marshall road, and general patching work was carried out on the Invercargill-Fortrose highway, Kapuka North road, Drake’s Hill road and White road. AWARUA The following work was carried out by the riding surfacing gang:—General patching on Bainfield road, Taylor s road, Grove Bush and Makarewa district roads, Titipua school road, Wood-lands-Grove Bush road. The cartage of filling for approaches, Mcßae s bridge, Hedgehope, was also undertaken, and repairs to bridge on Pakura road, culvert repairs Counsell road, renewal of box culvert, Actaeon road, renewal of box culvert Counsell road, and the renewal of two box culverts on Trotter road. WALLACETOWN The principal work carried out was as follows:—General maintenance on the Otatara district roads, repairs to culvert, Breeze road, removal of oversized stone and watertable cleaning on Wallacetown-Branxholm highway, and the delivery and spreading of maintenance on Bay highway and Otatara road; surfacing and patching West Plains highway, repairs to two culverts on Calder’s road, repairs to culvert, Oporo Flat road, renewal of pipe culvert, Makarewa-Browns highway, and patching on the Makarewa-Grove Bush road, Crow’s road, West Plains. WINTON The general routine work carried out was as follows:—Renewal of pipe culvert on Hokonui school road, removal of small slips, Gill road to Springhills, repairs to culverts on Dean’s and Devereaux roads, repairs to bridge, Winton-Otautau highway, repairing culvert Dipton Flat road, and general surfacing work in the Hokonui district. The bridge gang was also employed on repairs to the Oreti river bridge, Winton, which was damaged by the recent floods, and riding labour was also used on this work. ORETI The following is an account of the general work carried out by the riding surfacing gang:—Assisting bridge gang with bridge work on the Parawa-Noko-mai road, clearing of slips and culverts and maintenance work, Eyre Creek, cleaning of watertables and culverts, Glenure-Dipton road, Old Balfour road, and Parawa-Nokomai road, cartage of filling, Ardlussa-Cattle Flat road, removing of debris from bridges, and the reconditioning of Harcourt’s bridge, Nokomai. The bridge gang was in the riding during the early part of the month carrying out the redecking of the Stoney Ford bridge, Parawa-Noko-mai road, but this work has been temporarily suspended, due to other urgent flood damage repairs. HOKONUI The general routine work carried out included maintenance work on Norton road, flood repairs, Mataura river bridge, Otamita, repairs to culvert, Charlton Valley road, and general patching work, Terrace road, Glendhu road and Kingston Crossing road. Assistance was also given to the bridge gang in carrying out flood damage repairs to the Mataura river bridge at Otamita. WAIKAIA The following general work was undertaken:—Temporary repairs to Miller’s Creek bridge, Pyramid-Wai-paru road; clearing of watertables and scrub, Waikaia-Waikaka road, and similar work was carried out on Blaikie’s road; removal of small slip, Waikaia-Waikaka road, Block X road, and the removal of debris from bridge i piles, Riversdale-Waikaia highwa/, and Winding Creek bridge; renewal of pipe culvert, Waikaia-Waikaka road, and during the latter part of the month assistance was given to the bridge gang on flood damage repairs, Waikaia river bridge, Waipounamu. The delivery of maintenance gravel was also carried out on the Wendon Valley road, Wai-kaka-Kelso highway, and Greenvale district roads, and repairs were made to wash-out on Watt road. MATAURA The county trucks were engaged on delivering maintenance from Morrison’s Beach, Waikaka Valley, for strengthening and repairing the McNab-Willow-bank road after flooding; carting maintenance to the North Chatton and Waikaka district roads. Also, the road was built up over culvert on Boag’s road, and general surfacing work and culvert repairs were carried out on Perkin’s road, Waiarikiki. A new deck and repairs were carried out to the understructure of McDonald’s bridge, GoreMataura road. Watertable work was carried out on the Little Waikaka road, and also the removal of willows from Shepherd’s creek, Ballantyne road. TOE TOES The main work carried out consisted of the erection of plant for the Boat Harbour road, repairs to Waipapa stream bridge, Tokanui-Haldane road, redecking of Titiroa stream bridge, Fleming road, repairs to Digger’s creek bridge, Otara-Haldane road, and general surfacing and patching work in the Fortrose, Waimahaka and Waikawa districts, and a culvert was lowered on the Wyndham-Glenham-Letterbox highway. TENDERS ACCEPTED The following tenders were acceptetWaihopai and Toe Toes ridings.— Supply of gravel, Taylor Bros.,

£205/17/-; delivery of grayel, Taylor Bros., £758/14/-. Wallacetown riding.—Maintenance gravel, J. Moylan, £l5l. Toe Toes riding—Supply of metal, D. D. Oates, £1242/11/11. The council decided to support the representations of the Automobile Associations of Otago and Southland to have the road between Taieri Mouth and Waihola put in such a condition either by the Main Highways Board or the Public Works Department as to ensure that all classes of traffic will be able to negotiate it with safety and without interruption should the occasion arise.

A letter was received from the Public Works Department advising that consequent on the completion of the State highway between McNab and Pukerau, the old route would lie outside the scope of the Main Highways Board’s proposals for maintenance or improvement and no works would be carried out bj the board. Arrangements were being made '.o exclude the old road from the highway system and in the meantime to overcome any technical difficulty the council was empowered to carry out any works which might become necessary.