COUNTY AFFAIRS.

Wairarapa Age, 6 March 1935, Page 6

COUNTY AFFAIRS.

MEETING OF MASTERTON COUNCIL.

CONSTRUCTION OF RUAMAHANGA BRIDGE.

The chairman, Mr. W. I. Armstrong, presided at the monthly meeting of the Masterton County Council held yesterday. Others present were: Councillors Gordon Lee, P. R- Welch, J. W. Colquhoun, J. W. A. Falloon and G. Moore. A letter was received from the Main Highways Board stating that the advantages of restricting permissable loading on main highways by means of classifications made under the provisions of the Heavy Motor Vehicle Regulations 1932, should be obvious to all road controlling authorities. The board asked that the council arrange for the classification, as early as possible, of the recently declared main highways. The Clerk (Mr. J. C. D. Mackley) said that action had already been taken to classify the new highway and in fact the classification Tiad now been approved by the Public Works Department.

The District Engineer, Public Works Department, wrote asking the council to furnish reports on all bridges situated on the recently declared Blair-logie-Langdale Main Highway It was decided to forward the desired information.

At the present time, stated a letter from the District Engineer, the Department was not prepared to increase the subsidy required for Donovan’s road bridge as it was that it was too large a contribution for 'the size of the property served. The Town Clerk (Mr. T. T. Denbee) wrote stating that the Mayor (Mr. T. .Jordan), Councillors W. H. Judd and Trevor Beetham had been appointed to represent 'the Masterton Borough Council at the conference regarding the construction of the Ruamahanga River bridge at Opaki. The Engineers (Messrs Seaton, Sladden and Pavitt) submitted particulars of the estimate for constructing the Ruamahanga bridge, incorporated in which was the Railways Department’s detailed estimate of the cost of putting the railway bridge in a condition for the use of road traffic during the reconstruction of the traffic bridge. It was decided to hold the conference with the Borough Council and the Mauriceville County on Monday, March IS.

The Finance Committee’s report was adopted and accounts amounting to £10,956 14s lOd were passed. The ranger reported having dealt with 38 head of cattle, 137 sheep and four horses during the month. Fees collected for the month amounted to £3 fts, making the total collected to-date £26 7s. ENGINEERS’ REPORT. The Engineers (Messrs Seaton, gladden and Pavitt) reported as follow:—• Masterton-Stronvar Highway; Parawhiti Stream Bridge: The arch has been concreted. Construction of the spandrel walls is now in hand. Master-ton-Weraiti Highway; Wangaehu Overflow Bridge No. 4 at 0.6 miles: A commencement has been made with the driving of the piles. A temporary bridge has been erected. Masterton-Castlepoint Highway; overflow bridge No. 2 at 2.2 miles: A temporary bridge has been erected. Masterton-Weber Highway Wangaehu Bridge No. 5 at 12 miles: The approach fillings and stream diversion are nearly completed. Te Ore OreBideford Highway; Taueru River Bridge at 7.4 Miles: All the piles (some 653 ft.) have been cast. Waingawa Camp Road Bridge at 9.7 Miles: The piles for the Northern abutment have been driven. Matahiwi Road Bridge: All the piles have been driven and the abutments constructed. Kiriwhakapapa Stream Bridge: The bridge and approaches have been completed.OVEBSEER’S REPORT.

The Overseer (Mr. B. L. Larson) reported, inter alia, as follows:—Opaki Riding.—Wellington-Napier Highway; widening: The cutting at the 12m. 52 ch. has been completed and the men are now working between 12m. 28ch. and 12 m. 46ch.; this is the last section of road to be widened and good progress is being made with the work. Sealing preparation: Metalling of Reader’s Deviation has been completed. The men are now engaged in the cutting at the Mt. Bruce bridge and this section of the road is being scarified and shaped before the crushed metal is put on. Rangitumau Riding: Masterton-Weber Highway; Widening at 9M.: This work has been very much delayed bv the recent wet weather and the road’is in a bad state. Metalling has been completed as far as possible. Fencing of the deviation at the 7M. has been completed in a satisfactory manner. Te Whiti Riding.—Masterton- Castlepoint Highway: The fencing of the Devil’s Elbow deviation adjacent to the old camp is being carried out. WellingtonNapier Highway: Repairs are being carried out to the groynes northern bank of the Waingawa River. This work has been held up by floods in the river. South Road: 7i chains of new formation has been completed on this road and a light coat of metal has been put on. Uriti Riding: Master'ton-Castle-point Highway: The widening work at the 11M. has been held up by the recent wet weather and slow progress has been made. Metalling of the filling has been carrried out as far as possible. The surface of the road has been heavily planned by the grader to remove corrugation.

Unemployed Relief Works.—Blairlogie Camp No. 1: The deviation at the camp has been completed. The grading and shaping before metalling has been delayed by the recent wet weather and this work is now being carried cut* the men are widening the road at the natspur quarry. Stronvar Camp No. 2: Work has been completed between Ochs, to 6chs and only super elevation remains to be done between 8.50 chs. to 12.25 ch. Work is now proceeding in the cutting at 12.5 ch. to 13.75 ch. all the spoil from the cutting has to be trucked 6ch. to the big filling. Work has been commenced between 14.50 ch and 17ch. and good progress has been made although considerable time has lieen lost through wet weather. The water supply at the Camp is back to normal and no further trouble should be experienced.