New Waterfront Road Opening in November

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 749, 23 August 1929, Page 8

New Waterfront Road Opening in November

CITY TO ORAKEI It is intended to open the waterfront roadway to motortraffic between the city and Orakei in November. Mr. J. Tyler, acting-city engineer, reported this last evening to the City Council when referring to a question raised by Cr. Alice Basten early i n the month. Further points reported by Mr. Tyler were the proposal to open the roadway to Mission Bay by the end ot the year, the inclusion of the dates for the beginning of passenger transport. and the view that permanent bridges would not be complete until May or June, 1930. The intention was that temporary bridges spanning the two gaps in the roadway would carry the traffic until the permanent struc. tureS were finished. The total length of the roadway work under construction, added Mr. Tyler, was 2 miles 25 chains, from Campbell’s Point to the northern end of the Drainage Board's sewage tanks at Orakei. The latter point wag 3 miles 28 chains from the city post office. “Between the kerbs, the width of the road is 50ft,” said the report, “and there is a 20ft pathway on the sea side with approved ballustrading at the top of the bank, and 10ft footpath on the inside, the ballustrading being continued along that portion of the roadway after it leaves the railway embankment. The whole of the formation has been practically completed from Campbell's Point to Mission Bay, and at the present time, the council workmen are employed on surfacing.

“Very little has yet been done wiih the two bridges, although temporary bridges exist. It is intended by the Public Works Department to have the road opened for traffic in November of this year. The permanent bridges will be 60ft wide, having a roadway of 40ft between the kerbs and two 10ft paths. They are 160 ft and 300 ft in length, which allows the ingress and egress of tidal water to Hobson Bay.” Until June 30, the total expenditure on the work was £201.256, the council’s payments reaching £132,544. Subsidiary works in connection with the road are the construction of the Whakatakataka Bay Road, giving access to the Orakei block west of Bastion Point to Orakei settlement. The total cost of the work is estimated for the first portion £317,009. of which the City Council is con tributing £200,000, but no detaUed estimates have been prepared of the other portion of the work, the cost of which is borne by the Lands and Survey Department. The report was received. FOR YACHTSMEN’S BENEFIT The Mayor, Mr. G. Baildon, reporting on the roadway, mentioned the provision for tidal flow to Hobson Bay in the two bridges between Point Resolution and Hobson Bay. The Hobson Point bridge would give ingress to a body of water including Whakatakataka Bay, which would be valuable to yachtsmen in the eastern suburbs. “A deputation has asked me 1o bring to the consideration of the council the advisability of raising the bridge at Hobson Point to a height to enable access to the bay by launches and small yachts, the intention being to obtain nine feet of clearance between the surface and the bridge,” said Mr. Baildon. This would enable launches and small yachts to use this portion of Hobson Bay at all times, except between two hours before and after high water. The cost of this work is roughly estimated at £BOO, and it may reasonably be anticipated that the Government would contribute one-third of the amount, leaving the council to provide two-thirds.” Mr. Baildon recommended consideration of the proposal by the Works Committee, and his report was adopted.

one would think that Auckland was a struggling tropical town whose inhabitants were menaced nightly by hordes of disease-carrying insects, or whatever is the proper classification of the mosquito in natural history. I live as near breeding pools and incubators of the little chaps as anyone, and I have my fun in the summer, in midnigot pyjama parades, swishing at elusive insects with a sock; yet I have never considered the position desperate enough to warrant the employment of a research officer. There are far more annoying problems that might receive attention. What about church bellringers, motor drivers, Transport Board members and city councillors, to fay nothing of debaters about gambling? BUZ-Z-Z-Z.