COUNTY WORKS

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8606, 21 April 1934, Page 3

COUNTY WORKS

OHINEIH ROADS AND HIGHWAYS SURFACE SEALING SCHEME ENGINEER'S REPORT The county engineer, Mr L. E. Shaw, reported as follows on works during March at the monthly meeting of the Ohinemuri County Council: Maintenance in all ridings had been attended to. In the Waikino riding the patching of the Waitawheta road had been completed, and in connection with the Waitekauri riding the plans and estimates of the new bridge to repalce the No. 2 twin bridge at Waitekauri had been sent to the Public Works Department for approval. Relief camps were reported on as follows: A.2 (Racecourse): The men of this camp have been for the most part engaged on the Thames road, and as this work is now completed they have been shifted to the Te Aroha road and reconstruction is under way. Whangamata road: The formation and metalling of Patterson's and Ngatitangata roads has proceeded, and fair progress has been made. A good deal of trouble ' has been experienced with the crushing plant, and replacement of certain parts is necessary. Approximately 2£ miles of the metalling has been completed. Mangaiti: Work from this camp has been confined to the Paeroa-Te Aroha road reconstruction. Waikino: These men have been engaged on the reconditioning of several roads and are now at work on the Paeroa-Waihi road. Karangahake and Pukerimu: From both these camps the reconstruction of the Pae-roa-Waihi road is proceeding.

THE GRADING PROBLEM "All main highways have received additional surfacing metal and the usual amount of grading, but I am afraid that we must admit that the grading we are able to do is insufficient to sustain the increasing volume and speed of traffic," continued Mr Shaw. "This has been particularly in evidence during the recent spell of dry weather and the Easter traffic. As the result of complaints which have been forwarded to the Highways Board, the chairman and I discussed the problem with the highways representative at Paeroa, and it was generally agreed that the only way to give any immediate improvement would be to grade all roads more frequently. The only way this would be possible would be hy the purchase of additional plant, as the present grader is already working overtime. For various reasons the maintenance of loose surface highways is becoming increasingly difficult, and the latest tendency is towards the use of planes or multipleblade graders. The planer has the advantage of being considerably less costly, but the disadvantage of being a one-job machine, while the multiple blade grader, though more costly, can be used for quite a variety of work, and after careful consideration lam of the opinion that the council's interests would be served best by the purchase of a grader with multiple blade attachment, if such purchase can be arranged. In arriving at this recommendation I have not lost sight of the question of sealing, and from recent discussions I judged that the council is of the opinion that the ultimate solution of the main highways problem will be found in surface sealing. With this view I am in agreement, and in conjunction with the chairman am now definitely going into the question of proposals for a sealing programme. Should this be found practicable it would appear that a multiple blade grader would be of considerable assistance in the economic preparation of existing surfaces prior to sealing. If these recommendations are approved the matter may be taken up in the preparation of this year's estimates and the proposals to the Main Highways Board."

MAIN HIGHWAYS The condition of the different main highways was reported on by Mr Shaw as follows: Kopu-Paeroa: The reconstruction of this length is now complete, and the whole section is in greatly improved shape, but if not regularly graded or planed will soon become distorted. Hamilton-Paeroa: Since the last meeting the running surface of this road has been greatly improved, a fair amount of surfacing metal having been added. The reconstruction of this length is pro- j ceeding from both ends; at the Te Aroha end approximately two miles has been done, and at the Paeroa end a start has been made this week. In two cases where culverts had collapsed repairs have been made, replacements being made with 36-inch concrete pipes. Pokeno-Waihi (Schedule A): The sealing of the shoulders of this length has been completed and (Schedule 8., C. and D.) all three lengths are in reasonably good order, extra surfacing metal having been added. Hikutaia-Netherton Ferry: This section is in good order, a surfacing of metal chips having been added this period. The report was adopted and authority given for the purchase ot additional grading plant.