MONTH’S MAINTENANCE IN COUNTY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 2, 1 October 1948, Page 5

MONTH’S MAINTENANCE IN COUNTY

Engineer's Report To Councillors Reporting to the Whakatane County monthly meeting on Tuesday, the engineer, Mr C. H. Brebner, reviewed pro-. gress of the maintenance and improvement works throughout the - County. The construction of a new 12 foot :span bridge to replace the structure which recently collapsed on 'Smith’s Road has been completed. Plans were .submitted to the Lands Department who requested that the new deck level be placed 3’ 6” higher than the original bridge to allow :for future drainage operations. This necessitated additional filling on the .approaches.

It is proposed to carry out certain work on the Te Teko-Galatea Road with money that has become available. Where the road leaves the plains and enters the hills it is proposed to construct a deviation which will eliminate a bad piece of road which has always been difficult to maintain. It will also do away with a dangerous corner. The balance. of the money available it is proposed to spend on improving dangerous •corners at various points. The deviation will involve a survey but the work could be put in hand at an early date. The re-cohstruction of the Tane-.-atua Truss Bridge has been completed. The contractor has carried .out the work in a satisfactory manner and the bridge, should not give :any further trouble for a number of years to come. The work, although long drawn out owing to the difficulty,, in securing timber, was. •carried out with a minimum of inconvenience to the travelling public. A 15 inch pipe culvert has been installed in Millar’s Ford, Ohope, /and a low filling placed on top. This is similar to the work carried out at the Captain’s Cabin Ford and has • done away with a bad stream crossing. The work done at the Captain’s -Cabin Ford has stood up to some /heavy weather and there is every

reason to suppose that the new work will be equally successful. That portion of the Railway Road East fronting the Scenic Reserve which has been subject to periodical flooding has been raised. In the past when the Waiohau Stream has been in spate the roadway in this area has been badly scoured with consequent expense to the Council and inconvenience to the travelling public. The raising of a low-lying portion of the Rewatu Road adjacent to the Pahau Pa has been completed. This will render the road useable during times of high flood. Considerable scour has been taking place at the side of the road at the top of the first hill. Fascining work has been carried out with the object of stopping this scour and building up the washed out portion. Plans, specifications and estimates have been prepared for the reformation of Mataatua and Huiarau School Road, Ruatahuna and forwarded to the Public Works Department 4 for their approval. The cost of the Mataatua Road was estimated at £6,423 and the Huiarau School Road at £4,930. This estimate does not include a bridge on the Mataatua Road which will cost a further £1,500. The re-decking of the Eastern Boundary Bridge over the Kopeopeo cut has been carried out. It was found necessary to replace several stringers. Handrails will be erected when the material comes to hand.