GOOD PROGRESS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3827, 30 October 1936, Page 7

GOOD PROGRESS

RECONSTRUCTING GREAT SOUTH ROAD. CONTRACTORS GREATLY DESIRE FINE WEATHER. The barriers that have been across the Great South Road for the past week, causing motorists to deviate towards Waikeria Borstal Institution and make a detour ot six miles, were removed on Wednesday afternoon, and as long as good weather prevailed all traffic was passing along the main trunk road to the south. But it rain fell the barriers were to be promptly re-erected. Heavy rain occurred last night, and traffic has perforce been diverted. Our representative inspected the work in progress for the nine or ten miles south of Te Awamutu in company with the Automobile Association’s local officer, and the contractors (Messrs W. Goosman and Co.) for the southern section of the Great South Road with Waipa County, and the Public Works official, Mr Fitzgerald, in charge of the three miles of reconstruction work within Otorohanga County were in accord in having the barriers removed. The worst part of the Waipa County portion is the few hundred yards between the Waikeria turn oft and the county boundary, where a long filling has been made. Only a few hours’ work remained to be done when the heavy rain occurred last Thursday, and traffic had to be diverted, while every effort was made to drain the morass and cover the surface with rubble and sand. The past four days have been fine, until last night’s heavy rain, and a gang ot workmen is using all expedition to afford traffic the usual facilities. Just south ot the boundary the P.W.D. gang has also been busy, and though the new alignment is in places several feet below the old road surface, it is possible to get along without much loss ot time, and without danger if the drivers of vehicles are reasonably careful. Not so much has been done lately in straightening the road between Te Awamutu and Kihikihi, but contractors arc busily kerbing the road through Kihikihi township, the intention being to seal the road for its full width there. Most of the work for the next mile southward has been done, and a good surface is provided, but then comes 200 yards of a filling (opposite Wynyard’s farm) where one day last week rain caused chaotic conditions. About twenty motor vehicles were concentrated on the task of making a roadway across the spongy surface, and in a few hours 200 yards of rubble, gravel and sand were ap-plied-only to lose it, for the material promptly sank out ot sight. Even now’ the surface is very rough, but a grader and more gravel and sand will soon make it quite good. The deviation to give access to the new concrete bridge over the Puniu river is almost completed. It was a big undertaking, but when finished the traveller will be warm in his praise, for it makes a straight road of over two miles, including the bridge. Contractors' vehicles have been allowed over the new bridge, but it is not yet open to the public. Gangs of men are preparing stone facings for the approaches nearest the bridge, and the turfed sides further along are flanked by live willows that will later form a breastwork to lessen the danger from floods. Half a mile further south commences the bad portion that extends to the boundary of the two counties, and with fair weather that length will not present any difficulties to motorists. The contractors are pushing ahead as fast as possible.

The new bridge is a ferro-concrete double track structure, 230 feet in length, about 400 yards downstream from the old bridge, and is approached from the north by a fairly long cutting and then an embankment. As stated above, the bridge itself has been completed, but work on the filling is proceeding, to get it ready for a heavy coat of metal preparatory to the application of a sealing coat. The P.W.D. portion just south of the county boundary has about sixty men’ with horses and drays, engaged, and the officer in charge said on Wednesday afternoon that given four fine days in succession he will be free of major worries. Further south for nearly three miles small gangs are making slight deviations and improving the grades, with special attention to reducing the bends and angles. So far as our representative could learn, it is not intended at present to tackle work further southward until the section now in hand is practically completed; but the expectation is that gangs will operate for months to come as far south as Otorohanga township. The Great South Road within Otorohanga County is controlled by the Main Highways Board, and that body’s policy is to seal the road by stages right to Te Kuiti. Travellers to the south who wish to avoid the road construction works can detour at Te Awamutu and travel through Pokuru and on by an allweather road to Otorohanga—exactly the same mileage as by the Great South Road.

This is particularly desirable today, for yesterday, in anticipation of good weather continuing, the contractors’commenced removing the ‘hump’ in the metalled road opposite Mi' Rawmond Jones' late farm, and traffic for Kihikihi and out-districts will be well advised to proceed via Park Road.