THE PAEKAKARIKI HILL ROAD

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 281, 23 August 1919, Page 8

THE PAEKAKARIKI HILL ROAD

THE BETTER WAY. ; Sir,—ln your issue of August 13 I no.' tice that the Minister of Public Works proposes to 6jiend about <£4400 on tho Paekrtkuriki llill Road, from Paekakariki to a point near tile summit, a distance of approximately 2J miles. This would make this portion of the road much better as. to width, although it would not materially alter tho grade—the height of tho climb (84G feet) is 6tiU'the same. To my mind, the most dangerous part of the hill—and lam 6uro many will agree with me in this—is the Wellington sido through the Horokiwi Valley Gorge for a distaneo of 4J miles, and I think I am safe in saying that for every accident on the Paekakariki side of the hill there are 20 in tho Horokiwi Valley Gorge. The cost of widening this 4i miles of gorge will probably bo three times as much per mile as the cost ou the Paekakariki side, owing to the difficult nature of the country traversed. On (ho one sido is a wall of hard rock, a great part of the distance, and on tho other is the stream, so that apart from, the difficulty of hewing the stone tho question of getting rid of the spoil without blocking the stream arises. There is no doubt this portion of tho work 'is of considerable magnitude, and no scheme for widening the Paekakariki Hill Road is complete which excludes it. On tog of the cost of construction will come a heavy cost of maintenance, caused by land slips which will inevitablv follow The land slips, it is safe to say, will ,cause many "hold-ups," and the cost uf cleaving them until such time as tho banks are settled will probably be as much as the widening. When all is accomplished the heavy grade is still the same, and the route is four to five miles longer than tho proposed new route, via Pukerua, the- summit of which is 579 feet lower than the summit of the Paekakariki Hill. The proposed new road vm Pukerua would all be on the sunny side, which is always a big saving in upkeep. Whereas, the Horokiwi 6or b 'o Portion of the road mentioned is on the shady side," and consequently damp during tliei winter months. I noticed the Minister's remarks re the proposed deviation of tho railway south of Paekakariki, when the present railway from Plimmerton to Pukerua will become a road. Why spend this ,£4400 on the Paekakariki Hill Road when a better and shorter route is obtainable? Paromatn and. Plimmerton are only a short distance apart, and can easily be linked up by road and traffic bridge over Porirua Harbour. No engineering difficulty would be met with in connecting Pukerua with Paekakariki by road alon« the const, in which case the Paekakariki Hill Road would be a by-road, used by an occasional traveller, for whom it would suffice in its present state. Why not spend this. J&fOO as a start 011 the proposed deviation of railway and road now? The main west coast road will, sooner or later, be via Pukerua, which is the natural route, it being shorter by miles and hundreds-of feet lower than the present road or any other route, except sea level. As this rond is a vital factor in the development of the west coast, whv not ask tho local bodies interested (Wellington included) to meet the Minister and tackle the job in a businesslike manner? Tho money now being expended on the Pnekakarilci Hill will lie a load on the backs of the ralepayers of Unit County, which seems to me to-bo very unfair, as the matter is one of Dominion • importance. Thanking you,—l am, etc.,

HAROLD SMITH, C.E,