SWAMP ROAD

Waikato Independent, Volume XL, Issue 3761, 23 September 1940, Page 5

SWAMP ROAD

TE AWAMUTU-CAMBRIDGE HIGHWAY FORMATION WORK APPROVED In the course of his report to the Waipa County Council last week, the engineer (Mr W. G. Macky) made reference to the swamp sections of Te Awamutu-Cambridge main highway. The matter, said Mr Macky, had been approached from two angles, and the first was the endeavour to smooth out the use of plant and staff to the best advantage, Previously the county staff had carried out new metalling in the slack period of maintenance work, but this year there was no metalling on the programme. ' The main point, however, was that the swamp sections of the road should be side-drained and the formation widened to the full width as far ahead .of the metalling and sealing as possible in order to permit as much consolidation as possible, though settlement would never be entirely overcome. The necessity for this was shown by the shape developed by that section of the swamp road already sealed. The engineer said the iMain Highways Board had no funds immediately available for the work, but the council, with the approval of the board, might consider the expenditure of its loan funds on the work, and carry the cost until such time as the board's funds were available. The longer the period that the sections of road had to consolidate the better it would be for the final work of metalling and sealing. Detailed plans had not yet been completed for the sections of road under discussion, but a good deal of work had been done in the swamp nearer Monavale. An approximate estimate of the funds that would have to be available for the work was between £IOOO and £2OOO. The engineer said he had discussed the proposal with officers of the Public Works Department at Hamilton, and they were favourably disposed towards it. Mr Macky did not suggest that the work should interfere with the order of preference of major works to be undertaken, the next of which to be put in hand would be Te AwamutuPirongia main highway, but rather that is would facilitate the construction of that section of the road when the time came for the work to be put in hand. To a question, the clerk-treasurer said loan money was available. To a further question, the engineer said the'nature of the work was such as did not require heavy machinery, and it could be done advantageously by the council. To Cr J. T. Johnson the engineer said it would not prejudicially affect the council in the final adjustment of accounts with the Main Highways Board. In any case the work could be done only with the. approval of the board. Cr J. W. Garland proposed and Cr Hall seconded a motion approving the engineer's recommendation.