OHURA ROADING NEEDS

Taranaki Daily News, 27 November 1934, Page 9

OHURA ROADING NEEDS

HIGHWAYS BOARD’S VISIT

STRATFORD TO THE WAIKATO.

REQUESTS FOR METALLING.

BRIDGE AT OHURA TOWNSHIP.

(By Wire—Special to News.)

Ohura, Last Night.

The members of the Main Highways Board arrived at Ohura this afternoon and were welcomed by the chairman of the Ohura County Council, Mr. J. Caird. Mr. Caird said the council had a few requests to make and the first one he wished to stress was the road over the Okahukura hill to Taumarunui. There was ample metal on the road, and he considered that a good road could be made if the board expended the sum of £3OOO. If the road was in a good state of repair the distance for motorists between Ohura and Taumarunui would be lessened by 11 miles. The chairman also asked the board to consider the advisability of declaring Tdngaporutu Road an additional highway.

Mr. F. Romayne, the council’s representative on the District Highways Council, asked the board to grant a sum of money for cutting off the sharp bends on the Tokirima Road, which were at present a menace to motorists. He considered that Waitewhena Road was of the utmost importance to the settlers of the district. It provided a direct route beween Stratford and Waikato. At the present time slips were causing motorists a lot of trouble. He estimated the cost of putting the road in good order to the Waitomo county’s boundary would be £4OOO. The road right through to To Kuiti would cost about £38,000. Mr. W. K. Williams supported the request for a grant of money for Waitewhena Road. BRIDGE DECAYING FAST. Mr. J. Freeman, chairman of the Ohura Town Board, asked the board to consider the renewal of the Ohura bridge over the Mangaroa stream. He said the structure had been in position for 34 years and was decaying fast. It was becoming dangerous for traffic, and if it fell to pieces through traffic between the north and New Plymouth would be blocked. He estimated that the bridge would cost £2OOO to replace, but unfortunately his board would not be able to contribute very much. The chairman of the Highways Board, Mr. C. J. McKenzie, said he considered that the comers at some of the bends on Hokirima Road should be' attended to at once, but the question of declaring additional highways was a matter for consideration, because last year the board took over 600 miles of road as highways. Hie board spent £600,000 last year in maintaining roads, and this year it hoped to spend £900,000. The members of the board would inspect the bridge over the Mangaroa stream, but it would have been more encouraging to the board if the Ohura Town Board had suggested making some contribution towards the work. Mr. M. H. Wynyard, the automobile representative on the board, said painting the bridges white was of just as much importance to motorists as good roads. He had noticed that some of the running boards on the bridges were out of repair, and in some cases the running boards should be widened in order to prevent accidents. The local body would receive a £3 for £1 subsidy for doing the work, which would be highly appreciated by motorists. The chairman of the county thanked the board for the visit and expressed the hope that when it made its next visit all the bridges would be painted white and have wide running boards. To-morrow the members of the board will travel by motor from Te Kuiti to Kawhia; and New Plymouth will be visited on Wednesday.