MAIN HIGHWAYS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 59, Issue 4185, 13 September 1939, Page 7

MAIN HIGHWAYS

. ADEQUATE AND SAFE SYSTEM NECESSARY. HON. R. SEMPLE REVIEWS POSITION. In the course of the Public Works Statement delivered in the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon by the Hon. R. Semple, Minister of Public Works, mention was made chiefly of main highways. The Minister said:— On many occasions 1 have emphasised the necessity of an adequate and safe highway system in order to meet the needs of modern road transport. My endeavours have been directed towards reconstruction and improvement works where the need was most urgent, and also the continuous maintenance of highways to a reasonable standard. The highway system includes the most important arterial routes which carry concentrated traffic from feeder and settlement roads. It is most essential, therefore, that, in the interests of safety, unsatisfactory conditions be improved as soon as possible. Wherever the standard is below traffic requirements it is found that maintenance becomes uneconomic, and for this reason also reconstruction becomes necessary. For example, a macadam road under a moderate flow of traffic can be maintained at reasonable cost but, if the quantity of traffic increases, more intense and costly maintenance is required, and the point is reached when, under very dense traffic, it is practically impossible, irrespective of cost, to upkeep the macadam surface in anything like a reasonable condition. Under' such circumstances it becomes necessary to provide a paved surface which does not disintegrate, and which, compared with the macadam type, can be maintained at very moderate expense. One feature of a sealed highway is that the cross-section and superelevation are stabilised and a uniform condition is retained, notwithstanding seasonal or traffic variations. On the other hand, a macadam surface quickly deteriorates under heavy traffic, and in extremely wet or dry periods the position is accentuatdd. On account of the semi-permanent nature of paving it is essential that before a seal-coat is applied the subgrade and foundation be reconstructed to a proper standard and the road surface carefully prepared to obtain the correct shape.

Another aspect of highway sealing is that it makes a definite contribution towards greater safety on the roads. Not only is the surface safer because of the elimination of the loose topcourse with its corrugations and potholes, but general visibility and comfort are increased through the removal of the dust nuisance.

During the past year there has been a continued increase in the growth of motor traffic as revealed by the greater number of vehicles licensed for operation and the record consumption of motor spirits. The density of present-day traffic therefore requires that every effort he maintained in the direction of reconditioning the highways system to a standard in .keeping with the needs of modern transport. Particularly does this apply to the State highways of the Dominion which carry a tremendous amount of arterial traffic. Very substantial improvements. have been made since the Government assumed direct control of State highways, and the public is benefiting considerably, both directly and indirectly. For example, the development of commercial transport has been possible only because of the excellent standard of the improved highways. Under such circumstances it is not possible at present to consider any curta ment in highway activities or expenditure.

Satisfactory progress has been made with the programme of works, other, than actual reconstruction and surfacing, for the purpose of making main highways safer for all classes of users. A considerable amount of protective fencing has been erected on hilly sections and also in other localities where this protection affords added safety. The erection of guideposts has been extended throughout most districts, particularly where night traffic is appreciable and where fog conditions are common. This simple method of marking the boundary of the trafficable portion of road and indicating the variation in alignment has effected a very material improvement from the safety viewpoint. Another phase of activity in regard to safety has been the adoption of a policy of improving visibility at the junction of side roads with main highways. In this connection the cooperation of local bodies has been obtained in respect of highways under their control, and many corners have already been improved under a standard scheme of subsidy. In the course of investigating the problem of road safety, it became ap parent that a common hazard affecting both motorist and pedestrian arose from the lack of footpaths, especially in closely-settled localities where vehicular traffic was heavy. The matter was discussed with the Main Highways Board, and as a result financial assistance is now given from highway funds towards the construction of footpaths where circumstances require. A condition of the subsidy is that the footpath proposals must include the provision of a paved surface, as otherwise the tendency would remain for pedestrians to prefer the paved highway to any loose-top footway.

Consideration is being given to the provision of separate cycle-tracks where road traffic exceeds an average of 1600 vehicles per day. There are a number of difficulties in connection with the construction of cycle-tracks, however, not the least of which are the limited width of existing highway reserves and the irregular or uneven surface of the land. However, the matter is being carefully investigated in order that traffic conditions affecting the cyclist, the motorist, and the pederstrian can be materially improved. The question of. highway lighting was carefully considered by the New Zealand Road Safety Council, which came to the conclusion that it would be desirable to install some modern form of lighting on those portions of highway carrying a sustained average daily traffic of 2500 motor vehicles or more. This recommendation was adopted, and the Main Highways

Board, with the assistance of • a technical advisory committee, has made extensive investigations into the various types of lighting which might prove suitable. It is hoped that in the near future it will be possible to commence the lighting installation on the two most heavily trafficked highways in the Dominion.

It is pleasing to be able to record that there is evidence of practical results having been achieved from the safety campaign in respect of main highways. While the ratio of accidents in urban areas has increased and in settlement areas has remained stationary, on main highways there has been a reduction of 18 per cent. This indicates that the general improvement of main highways has made a definite contribution towards road safety, and it is my earnest hope that still more favourable results will be obtained in the future.

A detailed statement of works undertaken throughout the year under. review is contained in -the annual report of the Main Highways Board. The report discloses that the total receipts from revenue sources for the past financial year amounted to over £2,800,000, compared with £2,600,000 for the preceding year. With the exception of revenue from tire tax, which was some £9OOO less than ih the previous year, the receipts front other taxation levied for highways purposes reached peak figures. The total expenditure from the Main Highways Account for the last financial year on actual works, as distinct from loan and special charges, amounted to £4,369,000, as against £3,392,000 in the previous year. Construction and improvement works, including the elimination of dangerous railway crossings, absorbed £2,878,000, maintenance involved an expenditure of £1,311,000, whilst £lBO,OOO was spent on the renewal of bridges. In addition, interest and loan charges ; ■ amounted to £438,000 and general rate subsidies paid to local authorities totalled £209,000. Last year’s programme of works involved . the boyrowing of £2,675,600 from main highways’ activities. The improvements completed included the formation and widening of lengths totalling 491 miles and the metalling of numerous sections aggregating in length 188 miles. Extensive paving operations during the past year resulted in the completion of 285 miles of initial dustless surfacing, this being the greatest amount of new sealing completed to date in any one year. The length of dustless surfaced highways at the 31st March, 1939, totalled 2800 miles, which represents approximately 23; per cent, of the main highways system.

Further progress was made in the elimination of dangerous railway crossings, and in the period under review 40 elimination schemes were- ■ completed, as against 35 in the preceding year. As at March, 1939, a summary of the Government’s programme for removing these potential dangers is as follows: Works completed at 90 crossings; contracts - let or work in hand at 30 crossings; proposals completed or under preparation for 39 crossings. In the matter of bridging it is interesting to note that over 25,000 lineal » feet of new bridging was opened to.. traffic during the past year, this, being more than twice the aggregate ih any ...... previous period. The principal structures completed were: The Rakaia River Bridge, 5,762 ft long; the Whirokino Viaduct, 3,600 ft long, and the North Rangitata Bridge, 2,122 ft long. The bridge over the Rakaia River provides a separate structure, 24ft wide, for highway traffic, where in the past both road and rail traffic have been - carried on a single bridge, One of the major benefits of having a separate bridge in this case is that road vehicles are no longer, subject to delays through having to await the. passage of rail traffic. The Whirokino Viaduct has been constructed to carry arterial highway traffic over a long stretch of road which becomes covered ' ■ with water to .a depth of several feet in times of major flooding. The new bridge over the north branch of the Rangitata River forms part of the major deviation in the State highways system of the South Island. The deviation, which will shorten the. distance for through traffic by nearly 10 miles, was practically completed at the end of the year under review, and has since been opened to traffic. The replacement of hundreds of bridges on the main highways system has become a matter of urgency, and every endeavour is being made to expedite . design and construction work as mueh as possible.

The maintenance of the main highways system, including the amounts spent by the Mafn Highways Board and local authorities, represent an average cost per mile of £119.9, compared with £101.2 for the preceding year. However, the past .year was characterised by extraordinary storms in a number of concentrated areas where the flood conditions were very severe indeed. The repairing of a certain amount of flood damage is anticipated each year in the course of maintenance operations, but in some districts the flooding was quite extraordinary. The increase in the average maintenance cost per mile is due to the damage caused by major floods, as expenditure in that respect is equivalent to over £l6 per mile over the complete highway system. The programme 'for the maintenance and construction of main highways for the current year is based on a continuance of activities on practically the same scale of operations as for-the past year.