DELAY MEANS EXPENSE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18510, 6 March 1930, Page 11

DELAY MEANS EXPENSE.

MAIN OTIPUA ROAD. TAR SEALING URGED BY RIDING MEMBER. 7.— a At the February meeting of the Levels County Council, the engineer (Mr T. Black), was instructed to furnish a report to the Council in regard to the paving of the main Otipua The engineer submitted his report to the Council yesterday. In it he stated that the present metal coat and gravel coat on the road had been tested every ten chains, and he was sorry to report that it did not leave the depth of consolidated material as required by the Main Highways Board. Also, to leave the roadbed in good order for j sealing, the road required to be scarified and reformed to a cross fall not steeper than half inch per foot. The length between the Main South Road and Brassell’s Road was some 5 miles or this length 11 chains near Saltwater Creek had been sealed with two coats of Colflx. The estimated cost of the work was £7094/10/-. It would have to be ascertained from the Highways Board the amount of their contribution towards this work, and over what period they would permit the Council to extend its payments. If the Council received £2 for £l, the cost to the Council would be £2365. If payments were spread over a term of 5 years the cost would be:—First year, £614/18/-; 2nd year, £586/10/-; 3rd year, £558/3/-; 4th year, £529/15/-; sth year, £5Ol/8/-; or £558/2/10 per annum, £ll2 per mile for five years. To this add £2O per mile per year for maintenance and one dressing coat would bring the cost of maintenance for five years to £l2l per mile per year. After that term the maintenance cost would work out as under:—Interest at 6 per cent on £2365, £l4l/18/- or £2B/7/7 per mile per annum; surfacing £2O, sealing £3O every third year £7B/7/7. Of this £7B per mile per annum, the Highways Board refund two thirds of £SO, or £33 per mile per annum, leaving the cost to the Council at £45 per mile per annum. If the road was not tarsealed, he estimated the maintenance cost per mile per year for the next five years at £OS. Mr C. E. Kerr said that the Council was going to spend a considerable sum of money on the road. Parts of it were in good order, and if the road was sealed, a big saving would be effected. The engineer (Mr T. Black), said that with_ modern traffic, there was no doubt that the sealed road was more economical than the gravel road. The chairman (Mr T. B. Garrick), said that every riding could bring forward similar proposals for saving money ultimately. Mr Kerr said that no money had been spent on the road for some years. The chairman said that the road was in very good order. Mr Kerr: “But it is exceptionally thin.” Continuing, he said that it would be cheaper to tar-seal the road, and now they would secure assistance from the Main Highways Board. The engineer said that unless wet winters were experienced, the road would stand another two years with ordinary surfacing. Mr T. W. Brosnahan said that the Point-Arowhenua road, which was also , a secondary highway, was in need of ; urgent attention. The chairman said he thought the matter should be held over for a while. Mr Kerr: “The longer we delay, the [ more it is going to cost us.” The Council came to no decision in the matter.