PAVING HUTT ROAD.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1924, Page 14

PAVING HUTT ROAD.

MUNICIPAL ENTERPRISE. QUICKER AND CHEAPER WORK. Whether a corporation can as a general rule outdo the outside contractor in results from a given sum of money will always be a question for argument, but there is no room for argument as to the work by the Wellington City Council in laying down the new Huft Road pavement, the last few yf-xtls of which were spread and rolled in presence of members of the Hutt Road Board, the Mayor, city councillors and others last week. The paving work was commenced on December 14 with the corporation’s small mixer and the large plant was started on Decem'ber 22. Holidays and Sundays accounted for 38 days and wet weather for 19 days, so that the actual working days as’ far as the large machine was concerned were 104. In that time something like 78,000 square yards of surface were laid. It can safely be said that the cost per square yard of pavement is below the estimate made by the city engineer, for though the return made to the Hutt Road Board stated the average cost per yard of 10s Id, or one penny over the estimate, that cost includes a very considerable amount cf work in redecking the two bridges at Kaiwarra and Ngahauranga... metalling, supervision, etc., which are not paving works, even though they may be essentian road works. Had the work been carried out by private contract these would have been chargeable an extras. The contractor would have been allowed until April, 1925, to complete the road but the corporation’s engineer and employees, by thoroughly organised and willing work, have saved a roadusers one more winter over a road that had ceased to be a modern thoroughfare.