ROAD TO NORTH EGMONT

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1929, Page 13

ROAD TO NORTH EGMONT

CONTROL OF MOTOR TRAFFIC 4 PROVISIONAL SCHEME ADOPTED. HEADQUARTERS NEAR HOSTELRY

As a result of investigation by a special committee set up to go into the matter of traffic control on the four miles of roadway between the radius line and the North Egmont hostelry, a definite scheme has been formulated, and will be submitted to the next meeting of the North Egmont Committee for adoption. The scheme is more or less of an experimental nature, and will be retained only if it proves successful. It is intended to proceed with the work immediately, so that the scheme may be put into operation this season before the tourist traffic rush begins. Those present at the committee meeting which adopted the proposal were Messrs. Gordon Fraser (chairman of the North Egmont Committee), J. S. Connett "(chairman of the Taranaki County Council), G. M. Spence (ex-president of the New Plymouth Tourist and Expansion League), W. D. Armit (Commissioner of Crown Lands), and F. H. Blundell (president of the Automobile Association). Various ideas were advanced and several proposals considered before a definite scheme was adopted by the committee. The scheme provides for excavation and filling work at the junction of the roads leading to the old and new hostels with the object of duplicating the track for a distance of from 30 to 40 yards below the junction, and the installation of a telephone in a special new punga lodge to be erected at the junction of the two roads, this telephone to be connected directly with the lodge at the radius line, and to be the headquarters of traffic control. The object of the double roadway for a short distance is to have the upward and downward traffic along different routes in that locality. All upward traffic will keep to the left along an open roadway, and still keeping to the left after turning, • will be controlled at the top of the downward roadway by a gate. Definite hours have been allocated to upward and downward traffic respectively, though if the roadway is clear traffic may travel either way “out of hours” provided special permission has been obtained. ; It is intended to have ice cream and refreshments on sale at the new'punga lodge, which Mr. H. V. S. Griffiths has been asked to design. Mr. Connett is to report on the cost of widening the upper portion of the roadway.