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On the Nelson-Westport Highway the Four-mile Creek water drive approaches and the 130 ft. Island Creek Bridge are in progress, and on the Greymouth-Waiho Highway the Gimn's Creek Bridge and Nolan's Creek culvert have been completed. The Donnelly's Creek Bridge and the approaches to Duffer's Creek Bridge are in hand. The realignment work at Horse Shoe Bend culvert on the Waiho-Karangarua Highway has been completed. On the Westport-Karamea Highway the Deadman's Creek Bridge and three culverts have been constructed, and the Granite Creek Bridge is in progress. Eight miles of sealing and resealing were carried out in the district. The three Canterbury districts carried out a considerable programme of bituminous surfacing, consisting almost entirely in the renewal of existing-seal-coats, the total length being 82 miles. About one-quarter of this was in the form of a plant-mix coat. In North Canterbury the 60 ft. Lyell Creek Bridge in the Kaikoura Township was completed, and the Ohau Stream culvert and Irongate Bridge on the State highway put in hand. In South Canterbury the Rona and Mcintosh Stream Bridges on the Timaru-Cromwell Highway are in progress, and on the North Otago section of this highway the 85 ft. Omarama Bridge is now practically completed. Major slips have occurred on the Skippers and Wanaka-Haast Highways in this district and have been very difficult to rectify. On the Timaru-Dunedin Highway 4 miles of the Maheno-Herbert section has been widened and prepared, for a smoothing-coat. The 75 ft. Queen's Flat Bridge on the Waiareka-Duntroon Highway is in hand. South of, Dunedin the reconstruction of the unsealed ClintonArthurton section has been commenced, but, as with other works, this has been retarded by man-power shortage. In addition to the resurfacing of 22 miles of sealed surfaces, the principal works in the Southland district have been widening and footpath work on a length of the Queenstown-Invereargill Highway adjacent to Invercargill City, and the reconstruction of miles of the Wallace County section of the Lome-Riverton Highway. A contract has been let for the 168 ft. Makarewa Bridge on this highway. The Camp Creek Bridge, on the RivertonTuatapere Highway, is in progress, aJid the 43 chains approach deviation is practically completed. Visit of Inspection to the Central and Southern Portions of the North Island and contact with Local Bodies and Automobile Associations.—lt is very satisfactory for the Board to be able to record that it has now made a complete tour of New Zealand since the cessation of hostilities, and contact has been made with all local authorities interested in the control of main highways, as well as with all automobile associations. In early February, 1947, the Wairarapa, Napier, and Gfisborne areas were visited, and towards the latter part of April, 1947, the King Country, Taranaki, Wanganui, and Wellington West areas were inspected. It was evident to the Board that the increasing heavy traffic now using the highways has caused a keen demand for improvements as a means towards development of the variousi districts, and in order to assist with the economic transport of produce from the respective areas. The cry for an extension of dustless surfacing is an ever-increasing one, and the Board intends to do all it can in this respect. In conferences with the local bodies and automobile associations, the Board discussed matters of local interest as well as giving an outline of its general policy concerning main and State highways. The Board appreciates the co-operative spirit shown by all those local authorities and automobile associations with whom it came in] contact.

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