WAITOTARA COUNTY COUNCIL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19767, 15 February 1927, Page 3

WAITOTARA COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING YESTERDAY. The WaitotUra County Council held its monthly meeting yesterday when general business was discussed and reports were read. Present were Messrs W. Morrison (chairman), L. Turner, G. Russell, H. Goldsbury, J. Campbel], R. Laird, L. Jones, E. Parsons, R. Farley and T. Dix (engineer). Engineer’s Report. The engineer, Mr T. Dix, reported for the month of January as under:— General:—The following roads should be closed to heavy traffic between the months of June and September, inclusive: Watt, Livingstone, Lilybank,, Westmere Station, Campbell, Tokomaru East Mission, Upper Pakaitaka, Sewell and Waitotara Valley. The Brunswick Road should also be included if it is not to be rcmetalled between junctions of the Grange land Tokomaru West roads. Auckland - Wellington Highway.— The length of road between Westmere and Waitotara —excepting a few chains at Kai Iwi tind Nukumaru —has now been surfaced with loose chips. Vagrant metal has constantly been graded in and the foundation surface has required practically no metal for repair wofk. 206 yards of maintenance metal were used on the portions indicated with loose metal. The asphalt surface has frequently been repaired of late, but portions of it are too wdak to •stand up to heavy traffic. Another shell rock deposit has been opened up at Pakaraka. This necessitated forming another road, as the old deposit worked into stind. There are three portions of the road—two lengths at Westmere and one length at Nukumaru —that should be asphalted. These portions, comprising 152 chains, have been metalled and are in good condition to tiake two spray coats of bitumen. There are three lengths of the asphalt surface near the city boundary comprising 30 chains that show signs of breaking, and these should receive one coat of bitumen this season. The estimated cost of asphalting is £ll5O, and the Highway Board’s contribution would be £690.

Rangitatau - Watershed Highway. — 632 yards of shell rock have been used in laying the foundation course on Bayly’s Hill, at which spot the road was damaged by the recent floods. The top course cannot be completed until chips are (available for the two sources, where chips have been procured are temporarily closed. Surfacemen have been taking off points near Bushy Park. Slips have been cleared and watertableg cleaned on the length between the Junction and Ahu Ahu Roads. The contract that was let in December for widening work beyond Papdrangi has not been commenced. The contractor has asked for an extension of time for starting his contract. Tokomaru Riding. The metalling contract on the Tokomaru West Rdad has been completed. On the Morarau and Tokomaru East Roads the metal has been patched, drains *and tables cleaned, and slips removed. On the other roads the work done comprised flood-damage repair. Waitotara Riding.—General maintenance work has been carried out on the Maxwell Station, Rangitatau West, Pukerimu, Waitotara Valley, Handley, Kai Iwi Valley and Junction Roads.

Brunswick Riding.—-*-Metal repairs have been carried out on the Western Line, Riverbank, Kaikokopu, Tokomaru East, Blueskin dnd Brunswick Roads. Watertables on all roads received attention where required. On the Riverbank Road, fern and fennel were cut and a large spiral pipe culvert was placed near To Korito. Westmere Riding.—The Springvale, Fox, Francis, Rapanui, Cameron, Seafield, Heads, 'Dayforth, and Parkes Estate Roads, Clarkson Avenue and Parsons Street have been graded. On the Livingstone, Francis, Tayforth, Mosston and Seaficld Rotads, 145 yards of metal have been used for repair work.

Contracts: Tokomaru West Metalling.—s3o yards have been darted out and the contract has been satisfactorily completed. River Road. —The metalling contract should be completed rn about a week. Rdngitat.au West.—Slow progress is being made, though very little work is required to finish the contract. Rangitatau - Watershed Highway.— The formation work near Panaryngi has not been started. Good progress has been made in metalling Bavly’s Hill.