COUNTY ROADS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18402, 8 June 1925, Page 5

COUNTY ROADS.

VISIT TO LITTLE RIVER. Mr Tyndall, of tile Highways Board, accompanied by Mr F. iiangbein and Mr J. 13. Bruce, visited Little Kiver on Friday, makittg art inspection of the roads in the district. After going over the various roads the visitors met the Councillors in the Wttirewa Coiihty offices. Present; Mr F. Coop (chairman), Crs. J. 0. Coop, D. Richards, and Mr T. Quealy, late secretary and engineer to the Beard. Mr Tyncijall eaidl that considering the flood recently experienced, and the dilriculty with vropio.il iains f that the roads were in ,a- remarkably good condition, and is was hard to realise that this could be done on the amount which he understood the roads had cost for maintenance. There Were several ways of top-dressing roads, each varying in cost. With the fine quantities of shingle available no doubt the Councillors would know all about Shingled roads. He considered a : great deal could be done with gravel up to a. traffic of, say, 30p or 400 vehicles per day. Ifo was certain ' ho could keep the present roads in good order for present traffio for the next five years with tho present materials available. He understood the maintenance at present Was about =£so per mile. There were plenty of roads in New Zealand at present which wero not top-dressed and which were costing up to £3OO per mile for maintenance. He considered tho County were getting oh Aery lightly for maintenance. With regard to tar-sealing, he considered that it paid to do so with practically any road. With the present traffio on the road he would not adviKate any more expensive method than tar-sealing. Mr Bruce enquired whether the roads would require rolling. v . Mr Tyndall said they would require blading or planing out with the grader, and probably scarifying, but net deeply. Ho preferred crushed stone to shingle as the angles set together better. Clean shingle of even size, say J to J inch, made in, splendid job. Tar-sealed roads in the United States at present carry 4000 vehicles per day. There was no such thing as a permanent road. Even .a concrete road had to have a certain amount cf maintenance. The County could hardly go wrong if it obtained ally reasonable results, as the expenditure would be very low. The method of construction for tar-sealing was to have the road formation put into good order for a few months and when sufficiently solid, to have the whole surface swept clean, -until the skeleton of the road was exposed, when it was painted or sprayed with tar, and dressed "with chips of stone. A concrete road near Napier was being put down at an estimated amount of £SOOO per mile. Mr Bruce: It can't bo done. My Tyndall: I den't think so myself, but I hope it can. He understood the local Council considered they were spending too much on maintenance. Mr Coop: No, not exactly, but not getting satisfactory results. He considered it would be necessary for tho Council to go ia for a roller or a crusher, but not for both. It would probably be better to have a roller. The Highways Board encouraged Councils to get a plant to do the work wherever possible. Ho said the lecal Council were in an enviable position with Tegard to the proximity to shingle. He thought a roadroller a grader, and a crusher would be necessary. ■ " The Highways Board considered it a hardship for Counties to have to provide all plant for tho work, and they had a system of helping Councils to buy plant, ho said, and repay same lip to say, four years. Machinery would be bought for the Councils by the Board. Any special machine selected by the Council would be passed by the Board if considered suitable for the work. Mr Bruce stated a road-roller had been quoted at £750 to £BSO. An adjoining Council was reported to have had a tar macadam road constructed fcr £7OO per mile. jj[ r Tvndall considered that if the local Council "could get a tar macadam road put down for £SOO per mile, to get it done by all means. Mr Bruce stated that less than, a mile of tar macadam in an adjoining County had ccst some £l'2CO. Mr Bruce gave a short sketch of the work done' by the Highways Board, and stated

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that things were working out satisfactorily. 'No loan money had been spent tlus year, but £23Q,000 had been expended out of the grant from Public Works for Government reads. The Board required a considerable amount moro latitude. He would not say whether flood damage should be charged to reconstruction ct maintenance. Mr Coop thanked Mr Tyndall for his attendance, and the amount of* information which he htd given them.