RECORD PROGRESS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 97, 27 April 1939, Page 8

RECORD PROGRESS

STREETS AND FOOTPATHS SEALING DONE DURING PAST FIVE YEARS MUCH MORE REGAINS TO BE DONE ' The progress made in permanent street and footpath improvements creates a record since 1931, and it can now be said that at least half of the city’s streets carrying regular traffic are provided with a reasonably smooth impervious surface and a first-class footpath on at least one side,” reported the city engineer. “Much more, of course, remains to be done, but it would appear impossible to accelerate the work out of ordinary revenue.” Work Done Over Five Years Mr. Row showed that during the past five years 101 mlies of new street sealing had been done, and 14 miles of new footpaths completed. “For many years prior to 1925 a very cheap type of footpath tar sealing was carried out, but most of this work rapidly deteriorated and has either been broken up or renewed with more permanent work," Mr. Row continued. “None of this cheaper work is included in the records at present used. “The word ‘permanent,’ as applied to street and footpath work, is a relative term only, and implies that it will 'stand up to prolonged wear and tear if properly maintained. This maintenance is absolutely essential, particularly for tar-sealed street work. Our footpath surfacing is of a much higher standard and more costly than the type of street sealing now being used, but nevertheless the wearing coat should be renewed about, every eight, to 10 years. Demands for New Work "In an endeavour to meet the insistent demands of citizens for new work, the maintenance problem has been somewhat neglected for some time, and it is urgently stressed that during the coming year every effort should be made to re-seal existing streets and renew the surface of existing asphalt footpaths. In this way only can the existing assets be preserved. Over the past five years, the average annual amount of footpath re-surfacing has been one mile and of street re-sealing 11 miles, most of which was carried out in the season 1936-37, when new work was curtailed. It is recommended that with our present mileages of completed footpaths and streets, the average annual mileages of re-surfacing and re-sealing should not be less than three miles and four miles respectively. It is further recommended that in the case of street re-sealing, where the existing surface conforms to a reasonably good grade and shape, the re-seal coat should be carried out with bitumen in place of tar. This would ensure a much longer life af a fairly small increased cost. “In August, 1938, the equipment for the-manufacture of concrete paving slabs was duplicated, and in good weather it is now possible to complete 400 slabs measuring three by two feet per week. The ordinary slab is of plain concrete two inches thick, but in order to strengthen the footpaths at car crossings a steel reinforced slab three inches thick is being manufactured as required. The total output of the plant for the year was as follows: — Two-inch plain concrete slabs 13,946 Three-inch reinforced concrete slabs Total 14,420 “The laying of the slabs is followed up about 10 to 12 days after manufacture. - T —-