TARARU ROAD.

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 159223, 12 September 1923, Page 5

TARARU ROAD.

> ENGINEER’S REPORT. DISCUSSION AT MEETING. At Monday inght’s meeting of the Borough Council the following report from Mr. E. F. Adams concerning the Tararu Road metalling and the Council’s repair methods was read as follows Following your instructions I visited Tararu Road to-day with the foreman of works. Under the circumstances l —that is to say with the plant at his disposal and the necessities of the road—l do not see that the Foreman of Works could do a better job (and at the same time an economical job), than by laying a good coating of metal over the pot-holed and rutted sections of this road. He explains that he was unable to keep a staff blinding the rough metal on account of other pressing works. This was unfortunate as on account of the narrowness of the roadway there is no means of travel but more or less over the raw metal. Sand is now

being used for blinding. It is the best blinding available excepting the Tararu Point white rock. This latter would mean twice the length of carting. A top dressing of a fine gravel would be an excellent finish —such as the red gravel from near Waiheke Island. These top dress- * ing are expensive. If the present work were rolled .after a few days rain 'it would improve matters. Tararu Road is subject to a stream of traffic —mostly rubber tires fairly fast. It is impossible for loose metal to set under these conditions no'matter/what the blinding is. Sand is not the best. Nothing but a binder will hold .against the fast motor driven vehicle. At the -sa'me time the road is worn ■and low—it requires ■ building up. This cannot be done in layers of bitumen paving unless at a cost absolutely prohibitive. With a road in the state of Tararu road there must be a rough filling to’

start with, at the same time of course , ~the comfort and pocket of the motor driven vehicle owner must have a reasonable amount of consideration. By doing a short section at a time in favourable weather and rolling and blinding the prospect of inter-locking the metal would be brighter,excepting for foundation . work the stone being used is too large! I would recommend that any further work entailing extensive .•metalling be suspended here anl elsewhere until your council is in a position to use a first class metal classified by screening into at least three sizes for use under varying circumstances. Such a metal will be both cheap and abundant’ .in supply when the Waiotahi Quarry « is connected up and in use. - , tv? The town cannot adopt modern roadway methods until an abundance of this class of material is available. Road making machinery, cement or bitumen binder can be purchased at short notice; but the essential ingredient and the difficult one, froqi the view point that the town be not saddled with a financial burden, is the metal supply. Your council has during the past few years given this question the most careful consideration and exhaustive investigation and I can only again recommend most strongly a co-operation of the Council and Harbour Board in the matter whereby both can be satisfied in their respective requirements and the product' handled on a scale large enough to ensure successful working. * In the meantime I suggest that metalling be confined to urgent repair work. ■STREETS’ COMMITTEE’S REPORT In conjunction with this report the recommendations of tho Streets’ Committee were read/ as follows: — In regard to future road repair > works that the Foreman to continue urgent metalling repairs with fine \ metal from the Karaka Creek or Tararu Quarry as may be the most convenient. A deputation of motorists . fDr. Liggins,, W. Price C. Poulgrain A. E. E. Dodd, B. Franklin, and J. Kerniek) met the Streets Committee at the Tararu Quarry and urged improved policy of road repairs within the Borough and especially drew attention to the rough undue wear and tear on motor vehicles. The Mayor intimated that the Streets Committee had the matter under consideration it having been the first subject that the Deputy Mayor has brought under his (Mayor’s) notice upon his return from Wellington. A meeting of the Streets Committee had been convened to consider the matter. The Engineer had been instructed to report on the whole of maintenance and as soon ”as it is to hand the Committee would Consider the m fitter with a wow te defining a policy for the future.

Dr. Liggins expressed the Deputation’s thanks for the hearing they had received. The Committee recommends the metalling on Tararu Road be continued to and including Burke ’Street; the work as it proceeds to be blinded and rolled when weather conditions are favourable.

With regard to Waiotahi Quarry and the urgent need of full supply of metal in the near future the Committee would suggest the ad v isibility of authority being given to -it to confer with the Borough Engineer with respect to the opening- up and equipment of Waiotahi Quarry. Also authority to confer with the Thames Harbour Board with a view to entering into tentative arrangements for obtaining full supply for the needs of both bodies.

The Committee-asks for authority to fully consider the question of obtaining in advance an adequate supply of metal for next winter’s requirements to ensure economy -and efficiency. THE DISCUSSION. , In speaking concerning the engineer’s report on the Tararu Road the Mayor explained the delay in spreading the blinding and the reason for same. The road has now been rolled and had -a better surface. The foreman had done his best with the means at his disposal, and they would be in a better position next winter. They had no grader or seraper. Cr. Hetherington asked who gave instructions to put the metal down. A lot of money had -been wasted on the road. Cr. Miller said the Council bad never refered to the engineer regarding road matters. The foreman had to obtain metal and maintain the roads. He had seen fit to place the metal on the Tararu Road. Cr. Hetherington —Is this to be continued?

The Mayor —T-he report with recommendations would show a different state of affairs.

Cr. Morley asked what the extra metalling cost. Cr. M-ackay —£500 is -the limit of our expenditure and that must -have already been spent.

Cr. Morley—Tararu is getting more than its share. We bave other roads that want attention.

Cr. Bush. Would it not be possible to do other streets? Could not the Council hire a scarifier and do the work? It would be better than metalling Tararu Road once a year. Cr. Miller —There was no metal to scarify on Tararu Road. The Mayor said that the committee had given a great deal of thought and matters would now be different. ,Cr. Miller—ln future, work will, be confined to patching. Cr. —Patching is out of date. Take Queen Street—they had patched that that and it was still no good. I advocate scarifying. The Mayor thought they could hire a scarifier but the winter was now behind them. More up-to-date methods would be employed in t-he future. >,

Cr. Bush —Patching is only waste. They had no money to spend and it was not worth while only patching. The Mayor said the recommendation was that 'any work should be done with blinding and rolling. Cr. Bush —'What did metal cost a yard? It would pay them to obtain screenings and these would be more effective. The Mayor remarked that the foreman had been instructed to crush the metal smaller. Cr. Mackay asked if the Mayor could give them any idea, of how much more had to be done to Tararu Boad. t His Worship said there was very little more. wouldetaoin etaoi hrd shrdlu luuuu Cr.Mackay —-Aill the work done w'ould be lost unless a topping was put on it. Cr. Miller said there had been a good deal of misunderstanding -in regard to Tararu Boad. Last winter heavy traffic had cut through and unless they had have put a heaving coat of metal on it, it would have gone altogether. It has been lower than the water table had to be made higher. It had taken two years to bring it'to its proper level and may take another year to complete. They must now continue to cover the foundation. WAIOTAHI QUABBY. Speaking to the report the Mayor said that Clause 6 meant an altered policy .if given effect to. They needed a lot of metal and the Waiotahi quarry offered it. It meant obtaining a ftfll report and a conference with the Harbour Board as in the event of tho. Loan being carried the -(Harbour Board would require a lot of metal and sttone. The engineer had (reported that the necessary quantity of metal was at this place and the council and the Board should work together. The quarry belonged to the council and they had to fim 1

out the cost of opening- it up. Cr Mackay—No time Mould be lost and the engineer should report at the earliest possible tame possible time. Cr Bush returned to his contention regarding a scantier and he thought the cle k s?Jv d I fi-.d cid the cost of hiring cue Cjr l Morley suggx'-el increasing; the price on pr'v.itc car- in n eet the cost I f he road-. Lhe rhnig*s were lower than they stun)hi be. The; recommendations were passed with the priviso that the committee report to the council before taking any action.