COUUTY MANAGEMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 21 November 1932, Page 12

COUUTY MANAGEMENT

STRATFORD COUNTY ROAD WORKS. ENGINEER’S MONTHLY REPORT. Road maintenance -conducted In the Stratford county during the past month was the subject of the following report by the engineer (Mr. J. W. Spence) to the council meeting on Saturday:— North riding: Most of the metalled roads have received attention; a heavy call was made on the maintenance metal, particularly on Croydon Road west, where further supplies required to be crushed and placed on the roadside. On Pembroke Road two bad curves were improved, after the alignment was altered and two four-chain radius curves replaced two one-chain radius curves, the old metal being transferred to the new alignment, this being augmented in one weak part by six yards of new metal. The footpaths in the Midhirst township were cleaned up and repaired. Sand was carted from the Denbigh Road pit and spread on Mountain Road to kill the bleeding which took place during the few hot days. Shingle from the sides of Pembroke, Beaconsfield and Salisbury Roads was swept on to the bitumen surfaces. Patching was done on Stanley Road. Handy boulders were carted out of the Manganui Stream at the railway depot, and the weeds on that area were cut. An old wooden culvert on Monmouth Road was renewed with concrete pipes. An overflow culvert near that point was extended six feet and the outlet run to the road fence.

South riding: General repair work was done on Climie, Cornwall, Victoria, Warwick, Robson and Waihapa Roads, and patching on Skinner Road north and Wingrove Road. Metal from the Esk Road pit was used in building up the sides of Climie and Cheal Roads. Metal was dumped for repair work on Mountain and Robson Roads. The watertables on Mountain, Climie and Bird Roads were cleaned.

East riding (Toko): Metal patching, watertabling and culvert cleaning were done on Ohura, Ahuroa, - Toko, Mangaehu and New Roads. An old wooden culvert on the Toko Road was replaced with a set of 12-inch concrete pines. Patching was done on Ohura and Toko Roads.

East riding (Douglas): Metal patching and blinding and watertabling were done on the Ohura-Mangaehu Road and an old wooden culvert was renewed with concrete pipes. On the northern end of Gordon Road it was necessary to lower a set of pipes, as they were not keeping the road clear of water extending from the swamp; this portion of the road was repaired. A shingle pit on Mr. Gray’s property was stripped with a view to coating the existing rough surface between the Strathmore Saddle and Strathmore; while that stretch of road was quite sound, all blinding had disappeared and the hand-napped is standing out. A start was made with improvements on the saddle; little was being taken off the bluffs. Where the road could be widened by the cutting back on the outsides and where the fences could be moved with advantage, that work was being done.

West riding: Boulders were crushed on the Kapuni Stream crushing site and the metal was distributed for maintenance on various roads. Concrete shingle was obtained from the Kapuni Stream, Palmer Road, and would be used when the Kaupokonui No. 1 bridge was being erected. The concrete abutments on Kaupokonui Bridge No. 2 were nearing completion. Metal-patch-ing was done on Opunake, Palmer, Hastings, Waingongoro, Cardiff, Brecon and Brooks Roads. Tar patching was done on Cardiff and Hastings Roads. A light coat of blinding was placed on Opunake Road between Cardiff and Manaia Road. Shingle obtained from the Waingongoro Stream and the Manaia Road pit was used in repairing side-tracks on Opunake Road. Culvert inlets and outlets, also watertables, were attended to. Mangaehu Riding: The small slips on Mangaotuku,' Mangaehu Main, Tututa- ' wa, Taurakawa and Mangaehu Roads were cleared away. Two washouts on Puniwhakau Road were repaired. In one case it was’ necessary to build up with a willow breastwork. Some of the shingle stripped at the pit at Puniwhakau was used in blinding fresh metal placed on Mangaehu Road North. Some light repairs were made to the Puni track; assistance was given in this work and a horse and sledge were supplied. Metal and shingle patching were done on Mangaehu, Mangaotuku, Tututawa, and Puniwhakau'Roads. Ngatimaru Riding: General repairs

were made to Junction Road; the draglog was used and slips were cleared away. On Mangapapa Road slips and watertables were attended to. Portions of the Kiore Saddle were coated with, sandstone. Slips on Mateu Road North were, cleared. Watertables on that road were attended to and the drag-log was run over Mangamaire Road.