ROADS AND BRIDGES

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXVIII, Issue 116, 11 May 1932, Page 7

ROADS AND BRIDGES

THE PATANGATA COUNTY ENGINEER’S REPORT At the meeting of the. Patangata County Council yesterday, the engineer (Mr J. C. McLauchlan) submitted the following report: — Porangahau Riding Main Highway.—The Wimbledon bridge repairs were put in hand following an inspection after last meeting. Four stringers were found to be in a decayed condition and these were replaced with ironbark beams, and the land pier at the Porangahau r end was renewed in ironbark, and the whole re-decked with 9 by 4 brushbox. Time did not permit the placing of the running deck, but this will be done this week.

Pope’s Bridge.—An inspection of the trestle bridge near Mrs Pope’s homestead was also made, and it was found that the studs were badly rotted at the ground level and the land piers at both ends of this bridge are in bad condition. It is proposed to renew the decayed portions and reinforce the piers which are of totara 20 feet in length with 10 by 3 flitches bolted on each side of the 10 by 10 studs. Both land piers will probably have to be renewed. This work will be put in hand this week.

Burnview Road.—The old timber for boxing the metal on the beach approach at Burnview was delivered shortly after last meeting. Culvert.—The 4 feet culvert near Wimbledon was renewed in concrete pipes during the month the surfaceman with a casual hand placing the same. One Leyland Lorry was on this work and on carting pipes for one week.

Wangaehu Road. —J. Green has made good progress with the metalling of the above road over 800 cubic yards being delivered at the erid of last month. A little better

sample of metal has been delivered since last inspected, but the quality of the stone is inferior, and was hard

to get. The work is now completed except for some naping. Kate’s Quarry.—l expect to make a start crushing at Kate’s Quarry this week, the Wanstead work not being finished until last week. Mangaorapa Roads. —These roads suffered to some extent with the heavy rain, but no serious damage, is reported. Metal is badly needed on many of the roads in this district particularly on the lower end of the Cook’s Tooth, and the roads about the township, which also require the grader. Eparainia Riding Main Highway.—A total of 408 cubic yards of crushed metal and 12 yards of papa have been delivered on this highway for the month. The power graders were engaged in scarifying the rougher sections of this road prior to the metal being put on, a total of 106 1 working hours being done. The wet weather caused this road to pot hole badly and this is being improved with the grader.

Private Work. —Crushed metal 39 cubic yards in all was delivered on the private approach road to the Moututaraia Station ,the cost being just under 10s per yard. Ugly Hill. —Some patching metal has been put on the Ugly Hill road, the bulk of this being put out during the past week. Stoddart’s Road. —Stoddart’s road metalling is progressing steadily. Better results should have been made but the contractor did not have enough lorries on for the longer hauls. The roller has been over the road during the, past month, but the surface is too wet to continue. Bush Road. —The contractor has made good progress with this work for the month and but for the wet weather would have finished by now. The access road to the quarry has become impassable, and with Cr. Parsons' approval I have agreed to accept papa from the roadside to finish.

Wallingford-Black-Head Road. — The bridge gang were shifted from

Wimbledon to carry out the erection of the bridge on this road before the winter, but were delayed by the

recent wet spell. The work has been I carried on since and should be com- • pie ted to-day. The approach will be put in shortly. The cook-house I erected for the use of the unemI ployed gang will be pulled down, and the material brought to the depot. The bulk of this material is the property of Mangatarata. Wallingford Clay Road.—The metalling of the road fronting Mr Patullo’s has been completed, 112 cubic yards of papa being carted out from the Lake’s road quarry, the crusher being held up owing to a break in the belt. The quarrying and loading of this was carried out by the quarry contractors at Is 6d per cubic yard, the same rate paid to Blair and Son. The power grader was over the access road to J. Hunter, but was caught by the wet and was hauled out by the bullocks kindly supplied by Air P. Hunter. Patangata Riding Main Highway.—The main highway and other roads in this riding have suffered during the wet weather and have broken through in. a great many places, the bulk of the roads in this area being very bare of metal. A lorry has been engaged in patching the worst holes to-day, and will supply a quantity of river shingle on the worst places this week. Water Supply.—The work of sinking wells for this supply is being carried on as unemployed labour permits, but as the men only get If days per week or less, no great progress is being made. Six wells are now nearly completed, and are being connected with four inch tile or field pipes. Five unemployed were engaged last week in widening a portion of the main highway not quite completed last year.

Oero Riding;

The surfaceman has carried on the maintenance work in this district but the recent floods have caused a good deal of damage on the highway between Patangata and Elsthorpe, the metal being washed off the road for chains. There have been no serious slips in the district, but the northern approach to the Hawea bridge slip-

ped, and the wing timbers collapsed. An inspection proved that the wing sheeting and also the bridge sheeting is rotten, and a load of timber was sent out to renew this. A line of 12 inch pipes has also been sent out to renew a blocked timber culvert. The two lorries were engaged to-day in patching portions of this road and the work will be continued to-day. The grader will go into this district as soon as available to trim the roads which are in poor condition. Tamumu and Pourerere Ridings Alain Highway.—A bad slip came out last week on the Tamumu-Oma-kere road and a gang was sent out to make this passable for traffic. No material damage beyond this has occurred though the road was blocked by flood water near Omakare, where the road was nearly three feet under water. It was proposed to renew a small bridge at this place with a five feet pipe culvert, but owing to being short handed for some time this work was not done.

Mangatarata Riding-

The power grader shifted into this riding shortly after last meeting and completed the overhaul of the bulk of the clay roads just before the recent heavy rain. The metal has since been raked in, and the grader will finish work to-day. An extra man has been engaged in assisting with the off hitch work and in clearing watertables during the month. The boundary bridge, at the Tangatupara stream requires attention, the top chor on the upstream side being badly decayed and will have to be renewed. This work will be put in hand as soon as the required timber is to hand. General Crusher.—The crusher is now at the depot having the toggle groove fitted, and a washer put in to prevent play on the jaw. Grader. —The overhaul of the No. 3 grader is now completed and this machine will go out to-day. The overhaul of No. 1 Dennis is now nearly completed and I think it would be as w’ell to dispose of these two lorries if a fair price can be obtained, as they are not now required for our work. A small crab winch has been obtained for use on the lorries in loading or unloading timber and pipes, this was a necessary piece of plant and the purchase was approved by the. chairman. Claims for main highways subsidy for March have been sent forward as follows: —Waipawa-Poure-rere, £6 9 16s 2d; Otane Tuki Tuki, £l5 4s lid; Dannevirke-Waipukurau via Porangahau £456 5s 2d, total, £541 6s 3d.

Owing to pressure of office work I have been unable to get out the summary of plant charges, and these will be put forward for next meeting. The estimates for the current year will also be presented, but it is doubtful if the low rate of last year can be maintained, as the roads generally have deteriorated considerably during the past twelve months. The riding account has finished up satisfactorily, Porangahau has lost ground, but considering the extremely heavy expenditure on bridge work, not provided for in the estimates, this riding is much better off than expected. I omitted to report to last meeting that-the Como oiling system has been fitted to the three graders and the Leyland lorries. My office assistant who commenced work two months back is now on

the sick list having been off work since Wednesday last.