PUBLIC BENEFITS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVII, Issue 21449, 13 September 1939, Page 11

PUBLIC BENEFITS

State Control of Main Highways Expenditure of £4,369,000 Last Year By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, September 12. “Very substantial improvements have been made since the Government assumed direct control of State highways, and the public are benefiting considerably, both directly and indirectly,” stated the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. El. Semple), in the Public Works Statement tabled in the House of Representatives to-day. Continued growth of motor traffic required that every effort be maintained in the reconditioning of the highway system to a standard in keeping with the needs of modern transport. This applied particularly to State highways, as, for example, the development of commercial transport had been possible only because of the improved highways. Under such circumstances it was not possible at present to consider any curtailment in highway activities or expenditure. Total expenditure from the Main Highways Account for the last financial year on actual works, as distinct from loan and special charges, amounted to £4,369,000, as against £3,392,000 in the previous year. Construction and improvement works, including the elimination of dangerous railway-crossings, absorbed £2,878,000, maintenance involved an expenditure of £1,311,000, whilst £lBO,OOO was spent on the renewal of bridges. Interest and loan charges amounted to £439,000, and general rate subsidies paid to local authorities totalled £209,000. Last year's programme of works involved the borrowing of £2,675,600 for main highways’ activities. Cost Per Mile Expenditure by the Main Highways Board and local authorities on the maintenance of the main highways represented an average cost per mile of £ll9/18/-, compared w(th £lOl/4/for the preceding year. The increase in the average was due to damage by floods, which cost an equivalent of £l6 per mile over the system. Initial dustless surfacing extending for 385 miles was completed during the year. Dustless surfaced highways at March 31 totalled 2800 miles, approximately 23 per cent, of the system. Forty schemes for the elimination of dangerous railway crossings were com- ' pleted, against thirty-five completed ] for the year ended March 31, 1938. Work was now completed at ninety crossings, contracts were let or work in hand for thirty, and proposals completed or under preparation for thirty-nine crossings. Over 25,000 lineal feet of new bridging was opened during the year, the principal structures being the Rakaia bridge, 5752 feet long, the Whirokino viaduct, 3600 feet long, and the North Rangitata bridge, 2122 feet long. The replacement of hundreds of bridges on the main highways was a matter of urgency, and every endeavour was being made to expedite it. Tracks For Cycles Consideration was being given to the provision of cycle tracks where road traffic exceeded an average of 1600 vehicles a day. Highway lighting had been considered by the Road Safety Council, which concluded that some modern form of lighting was desirable on highways carrying an average daily traffic of 2500 motor-vehicles or more. It was hoped to make installations on the two busiest sections in the near future. Evidence of practical results from the safety campaign was pleasing. While the ratio of accidents in urban areas had increased and in settlement areas had remained stationary, on main highways there had been a reduction of 18 per cent.