D—l.

Surveys have been continued with the object of providing improved arterial highway access to the Auckland metropolitan area. Construction has commenced on the southern outlet, Auckland, as the first length of the Auckland-Hamilton Motorway, and work is proceeding over a distance of 1 mile 31 chains. The construction of a 140 ft. four-lane bridge over the railway near Penrose is in hand. The widening of the Auckland-Hamilton State Highway between Harp-of-Erin and the junction with the motorway at Penrose has continued. Many underground and overhead services have had to be adjusted to the carriageway widening, but the work is now 70 per cent, complete. On the north-western outlet, Auckland, formation work has been commenced between the Whau Creek and Lincoln Bridge. The total length of new bridges completed and opened for traffic during the year is 284 ft. The programme of bridge renewals is adversely affected by labour 'and materials shortages. On the Birkenhead-Maungaturoto State Highway the widening and shoulder reconstruction for 3 miles 40 chains from Birkenhead Borough boundary to Greenhithe has been completed and resealed over a width of 24 ft. throughout. Similar widening work has been completed on the concrete section of 1 mile 23 chains south of Albany, and plant mix applied to the full 24 ft. width. On the Dairy Flat section widening for the purpose of facilitating drainage and strengthening of foundation has continued, and to date a total of 5 miles 10 chains has been completed and remetalling is in hand. An alignment improvement was effected.by means of a short deviation at Greenhithe Corner. Grading improvements and resealing were carried out in the Wellsford Village and in the Warkworth Town District 15 chains of highway were widened. At Silverdale a deviation 1 mile 17 chains in length was constructed and opened to traffic. This deviation, which includes a new reinforced-concrete bridge 260 ft. in length over the Wade River, eliminates several bad bends and a very dangerous one-way bridge. On the Auckland-Helensville State Highway various lengths of widening work totalling 1 mile 11 chains were completed. The Trig Hill loop on the Waitakere Scenic Drive has been resealed for a length of 48 chains and the top course has been strengthened and primed on several short lengths totalling 54 chains. Work on the Auckland-Hamilton State Highway has been confined mainly to surface maintenance, including the refilling of some 5 miles of bitumen joints on the concrete section. On the Bombay Hills section an additional 1 mile 60 chains of widening was carried out, which brings the total of such work completed to date to 5 miles 20 chains. Reconstruction of the Pokeno-Paeroa via Ngatea State Highway has proceeded. Widening, top-course metalling, and full-width road-oil sealing have been carried out over a distance of 2 miles 30 chains, making a total of 12| miles of work completed to date out of a total length of 22 miles 20 chains. In the Waitemata County bad failures due to heavy bus traffic occurred on the Beach Road highway. A length of 2 miles is now being reconstructed. A 25-ft.-span concrete bridge has been built over the Taiotea Stream at Brown's Bay. On the Albany - Brown's Bay highway sharp corners have been cut back and 1 mile 20 chains of widening carried out. The reconditioning of the Brigham's Creek-Albany highway to an improved standard has been advanced as far as the tar primer coat. The volume of traffic on this 9 miles 60 chains of highway has appreciably increased since its completion, thereby relieving the congestion on the Auckland harbour vehicular ferries.

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