BIG ROAD PROGRAMME THIS SEASON

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27410, 24 July 1954, Page 6

BIG ROAD PROGRAMME THIS SEASON

All-Weather Route To West

Coast

SPEEDING-UP OF SEALING ON PICTON HIGHWAY An all-weather highway to the West Coast from Canterbury, through the Lewis Pass, is likely to be provided this season. Another big addition to the roading programme for the four Canterbury roads districts is the speeding-up of sealing of the Picton-Christchurch highway, 671 miles of which is to be sealed in the next three seasons. The four district roads councils within the Christchurch public works district (Nos. 12, 13, 14, and 15) have been informed by the National Roads Board that their estimates have been substantially approved as submitted. Two important additions were those for the Lewis Pass highway and the Picton-Christchurch highway.

In putting forward its estimates, the No. 13 council (North Canterbury) requested that additional funds be provided to speed up the sealing of the Picton-Christchurch State highway and the making of an all-weather outlet from Canterbury to the West Coast. The National Roads Board was fully in accord with both requests, and after inspection by its engineer provided funds to deal with both projects as expeditiously as possible.

With the reconstruction of the Rahu Saddle nearing completion and the Reefton Saddle well in hand—both are likely to be finished during the coming season—the 12 streams causing water and scree blockage between Engineer’s Camp and the Hanmer Springs Junction become the only serious bar to a reasonable all-weather route to the West Coast.

Instead of speeding up the permanent bridging, the National Roads Board has decided to bridge temporarily the whole of the 12 streams during the coming season, largely using Bailey bridges. Funds have been provided, and the work will be carried out provided necessary Bailey bridging comes to hand from overseas.

The permanent bridging is to go on at the present rate. Some of the temporary bridges will be placed at the permanent sites, where the approach work necessary will be considerable. The approach work will be done mostly by machines.

Three permanent bridges are now being built on the Lewis Pass highway. They are at the Hope river (a pre-stressed job of 110 ft spans), and at Gorge and Calf creeks. The three contracts are well under way. Boundary creek, beyond Calf creek, at present covered by a Bailey bridge, will also be bridged permanently. The Bailey bridging at these sites for permanent bridges will be used for some of the remaining 12 streams to be crossed, but the National Roads Board has had to order an addditional 750 ft of bridging. North Road Sealing The sealing of the two gaps totalling 67 j miles on the Picton-Christchurch highway, of which one gap of 55 j miles up to the Blue Slip is in the No. 13 district, has been approved. The 551-mile gap comprises 22 miles at the northern end of the district, and 33£ miles between Oaro and Domett. The speeding-up plan envisages sealing of the road largely as it is where improvements are not already contracted for, and the completion of the work in three seasons. The proposal is that 29 miles, of which 25 miles is in the No. 13 district, shall be sealed during the coming paving season. The National Roads Board has provided the funds accordingly. It Is intended to seal the following this year:—three miles from Waipapa Bay to the Clarence river* seven miles and a half between the Clarence river and The Shades, omitting the shingle fans; 10 miles from Parnassus to Hundalee; and four miles and a half from Domett to Cheviot. This work will use all available forces. Lewis Pass Surfaces

On the Lewis Pass route to the West Coast, provision has been made for a dustless surface 20ft wide for five miles and a half up to the Hanmer Springs Junction, and for a further three miles and a half of 12ft seal from the junction towards the Lewis Pass. On the West Coast side of the pass, provision has been made for sealing from the end of the present seal to the Garvey’s creek turn-off on the road to Reefton. On the West Coast, it is proposed to extend the sealing from Cronadun towards Inangahua, from the Totara river to Donnelly’s Creek between Hokitika and Ross, and also in other places. The completion of the Big Waitaha bridge and the widening of the narrow section of the highway south of Ross are also provided for. An additional half-mile of sealing at Springfield has been provided for on the Christchurch-Kumar a Junction highway to Greymouth in the Christchurch district. Some widening of a narrow section of the highway known as Paddy’s creek and Earthquake slip, between Cass and Bealey, will be done. A small deviation will be made at Arthur’s Pass township to avoid

an icy corner behind the house of the ranger for the National Park Board. The deviation will pass in front of the house and the proposed memorial chapel. Akaroa Route On the Christchurch-Akaroa highway, provision has been ma'de to complete the sealing to Little River from Christchurch and to build the Ataahua bridge and Price’s valley culverts so that the existing gaps can be given a dustless surface. Further sealing is provided for between Duvauchelle and Akaroa—more than half of this length will be completed during the coming season. In the South Canterbury district (No. 15) the completion of the Orari bridge and the construction of the Temuka bridge, in pre-stressed concrete, both being on the Main South road, have been provided for. On the Timaru-Cromwell (via Fairlie) highway, the Irishman’s creek bridge will be finished, and the sealing will be extended from Fairlie to Kimbell, a distance of five miles, the width being 12ft. Provision is made for the construction of a bridge over Twins creek, on the route to The Hermitage. A very considerable mileage of construction on main highways under the control of counties has been provided for. The programme for the four road districts is fairly large, involving the spending of nearly £1,750,000 before March. Use of All Resources

The big programme of work, with its changing character, the accent being on dustless surfacing rather than reconstruction, will call for the fullest use of resources and contractors available, the District Commissioner of Works has emphasised. The coming paving season will be an extremely busy one, and the planning and carrying out of the work with the facilities available will call for a major effort by all concerned. The approval of the district council estimates in July is considered to be of assistance both to the Ministry of Works and the local authorities, as the date is considerably earlier than has been usual. Moreover, the National Roads Board is permitting the commencement of new works, where it has received satisfactory design data, without waiting for detailed approved plans to be submitted by the registered engipeer concerned, provided he signs a satisfactory certificate at the same time as the work is begun. This policy should help the speeding-up of the work, specially that of local authorities In carrying out their not inconsiderable portion of this £1,750,000 programme in one season.

PART OF NORTH ROAD TO BE CLOSED

The Ministry of Works has announced that the Main North road will be closed between Cheviot and Spotswood from Monday, July 28 until about December 1, to enable reconstruction of this section of highway to be completed. A detour has been mapped out between Cheviot and Spotswood, and has been signposted and marked with red and white detour flags by the Automobile Association (Canterbury). The detour begins just north of Cheviot and extends for seven and three-quarter miles to Spotswood, where it rejoins the Main North road. The additional distance involved is about one and a half miles. The detour is over a shingle road and motorists are advised not to travel at excessive speed. There are two obscured railway corssings on the detour, at Phoebe and at Spotswood. Extreme caution should be taken at these crossings.