NEW HIGHWAY

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 94, 15 January 1935, Page 8

NEW HIGHWAY

Road to Johnsonville Nearly Complete EXTENSION PROPOSED Construction of the road between Khandallah and Johnsonville, which will give Wellington a new highway to the north, is likely to be completed about Marell, but Hie opening of the road to traffic may be delayed if the authorities decide to carry out the extension of the road further into Johnsonville, which lias been proposed. The additional work would create a new street in Johnsonville ami greatly facilitate the negotiation of the town by through traffic using the new artery. The desirability of this length was recognised when work started, but i,ts immediate construction was not anticipated, as it is now. The earthworks of the new road are practically complete and the metalling and. rolling is well advanced. It is expected that it will be ready for use about March. At present the new highway joins the.streets of Johnsonville in an awkward manner and traffic using it will, unless the additional proposal is adopted, enter the town by residential streets, ami will have to negotiate some fairly narrow thoroughfares with sharp corners that are definitely not suited to carrying a large volume of traffic. Sharp Corners at Present. The road is almost straight from Khandallah to the heart of Johnsonville, keeping to the west of the railway ami entering the latter town near the recreation ground, where the traveller going north will have to take either a sharp turn to the right to regain the old highway south of the shops, or a sharp turn to the left and traverse various streets to gain the old highway near the church on the hill north of the town. The proposal now being considered is to construct a new road in practically a direct line with the highway now being built, so that traffic may join the old main highway without taking any sharp turns or going through narrow streets, but by travelling parallel with the railway and west of it all the way. The new road would be less than a quarter of a mile long and most of the work would be filling. Two cottages are the only buildings that would have to be moved. Most of the road would be alongside the railway station and yards. An announcement of a decision on the proposal is expected within a few weeks. If it is decided to proceed with the additional length of road in Johnsonville the Public Works Department will require to cart spoil along the road which it has been working on and for that reason may not open it to public use until .all the work has been done. Interesting Route. In addition to being of definite utility the new city access will toe a pleasant variation from the Ngahauranga Gorge route, having a character unlike any other main road in the vicinity of Wellington and totally different from that, of the existing KhandallahJohiisonville road. Approaching the city, the traveller will, instead of descending the rocky defile of the gorge, continue a.lpng a level road through open country about five hundred feet above sea level to Khandallah where alternative picturesque roads to Wellington (via Onslow Road and via Ngaio and the Kaiwarra Gorge) will be available. It has been possible to walk along the partly completed road for some months past.