WATERFRONT ROAD

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 842, 10 December 1929, Page 9

WATERFRONT ROAD

BIG PROJECT WILL BE FINISHED IN SPRING SPLENDID ENGINEERING WORK Despite the wet weather, which has hindered the work of finishing the Waterfront Hoad to Mission Bay. good progress has been made. The whole of the actual road formation is complete and the finishing work, including the camber, is being done, in preparation for the metal surface and tar-sealing. It is hoped, if all goes well, to have the road metalled as far as the pumping station by April and the road completed to Mission Bay by the early spring. Since tile Waterfront Road from the City to Orakei was opened tt has been used by a great number of motorists. Last Sunday a man who had been put on duty to control iho one-way traffic over one of the bridges had t>4 motor-cars held at one time to allow vehicles going in the opposite direction to pass. As yet there is no word of a motorbus service running over the road through Orakei and on to Kohimarama

or St. Hellers Bay, but one could easily do so. It is thought that such a service will start when more houses have been erected at Orakei. Already five houses have been completed, two others are in the course of construction, and preparations are in hand to erect others on lovely sites overlooking the harbour. A start will be made shortly to finish the footpaths which run along either side of the road and to erect a concrete balustrade. This balustrade will be built on the harbour side of the road from the City end to Hobson Point, but no further. It will be 3ft. 6in. high. Recently it was decided to raise the bridge-head of No. 2 bridge, near Hobson F*oint, to give a clearance of 11ft. at high-water. A channel has been dredged from the bridge right through to Hobson Bay so that launches can have access at all times. It is proposed to make Whakatakataka Bay a permanent launch harbour for owners of such boats living in the eastern areas of the City. Okahu Bay is now accessible by several roads from the Orakei Garden Suburb. Since the breastwork for the road has been put in plat e on Pokonoa Point the drift of sand has stopped and a lovely little beach has formed in the bay. it should be a popular bathing place for residents of Orakei. FORESIGHT OF ENGINEER At the pumping station in Okahu Bay the Waterfront Koad runs over the top of the giant sewerage tanks. Should tram tracks ever be required along the road the foresight of a City engineer will prove useful. When the tanks were first put down a row ot bolts to hold rails was let into the concrete. They may become useful in the future.

One of the most amazing; features of the road ia the immense wall of rook which protects the roadway from tho sea. Thousands of tons of rock have been used in the making of this wall, which will withstand the battering of waves and the force of the gales from the Gulf. Apart from its usefulness.

the wall is an artistic piece of work and a credit to the engineers who designed and erected it.

On the other side of the garden suburb work is progressing as quickly as possible. Some difficulty was experienced with the Orakei Bridge over Purewa Creek. but this has beeu overcome, and it is expected that the bridge will be finished in six months' time. Some of the difficulties w'hich had to be overcome by the engineers were quite unexpected. For instance, one of the piles disappeared from sight one day, and it was found that it had slipped down an old volcanic steam vent in the floor of the creek. A similar steam vent, was found quite recently in the yard of the Orakei station.

All roads in the suburb have been finished as far as the present programme allows, and access to the residential sites can be gained from several points. When the whole scheme is complete the road to the Orakei Bridge from Orakei and Upland Roads will run round the side of Hobson Bay and not over the present hill. The total length of the Waterfront Road, from where it joins Quay Street to Mission Bay, is four miles 10 chains. At Mission Bay the road joins Bice Avenue and thus givet a wonderful run for motorists.