Engineer's Report

Horowhenua Chronicle, 14 August 1915, Page 3

Engineer's Report

1 HOKO WliliXUA OOU-XT Y COUXUI'L. The following report on the roads, bridges etc., throughout the county was submitted by the engineer, .Mr J. iMaleolm: To Holo HidTng. Tiiia riding has been the most uniortuuate of any una the recent lioods, washouts and slips in all directions, A very nasty washout tooK place on tue W'aihoanga road, a '6 loot culvert collapsed ami the hall of it went over the siding. 1 have had it replaced with -12in cement pipes; there were a good lew slips oi a minor nature which i had removed when the men wore up there, 1 also had the water-tables attended too. The Otaki Gorge road is in a bad way; 1 am at my wit's end to know what to do wnu part of it at present. 1 am getting the cement pipe culverts oji the main road at the south drain and at lladlield laid at present. The tilling oi the gulch on the jiaiigaone Keiki road proves to be a much bigger job than 1 anticipated, 1 am no,w doubtful about getting a tender within our means at the present time. 1 instructed the surfacemen to lay a Din pipe culvert, (the pipes 1 sent mm) across the To Waka load to overcome -xr Jensen's trouble, the lormation ul the- road backed thu water on to iiim and when 1 was there tiie other- day there must have been three-quarters of an acre under water. 1 see a letter from Mr and -Mrs ilimfc oi the Man tore Cross ltoad to come before the Council to-day, i have inspected their greivance, hue regret that w.i cannot give them relief, our culvert crossing the road is larger 1 think but at all event 1 am sure it is not less than the' pipes in the water-race a lew chains from our road. The grievance has existed since over 1 had anything to do with the road, and i have advised previous owners to bank in the house; it is the only way to prevent the water getting round it and under it. Otaki Hiding. This lidiug escaped the lioods or very nearly, Air ALaekeuzies track is about iu'l up witn aiipo; that jo about all that 1 have heard of. 'the roads are Uiiriy good in the southern enu, and there ;« ' not much to complain about in the ncrtkorn end, i am now in hopes we ' will be able lo get over the winter without letting a contract lor the supply o: maintenance metal, 1 think a day ' or two now and again with a dray will dj all that is necessary; the winter should be nearly over. There is sti.il no appearance of the It ail way people with the overbridge, 1 shall write to them in a day or two, until they get o.ir money they put all the blame on to us lor the delay. i huvo not been ' able to fix up with the Town lioard * yet, but the Cemetery road coutrac- ' tor is impatient to know what ' we intend doing as he is ready to go ' on with the work. ; Wirokino Hiding. 1 am getting the main road repair- ( ed right through and have got as far as Levin, but there will be but little ; dono for sometime here as all tho metal pits with one exception are full ol ; water. 1 propose getting the Ohau "West xoud put in order next we&k if the weather is favourable. One of the old wooden culverts on Giles's road collapse the other day. 1 have sent two pries and will try to get them laid on iMonday or Tuesday. There is also a three-feet box culvert on tho Wallace road given way and will have to be replaced at once. ihis .1 will do trrjood ilryfi Ciiluo rk,danh 78 ( JU:|j with cement pipes. 1 propose putting in -12in. cement pipes across the , Ivoputaroa road at the upper end of < th'.' stream. We have had a. sum on 1 the estimates for a bridge at this place for some time. 1 think the pipes will do and will m>t cost half tho money. There are one or two motor cars now up there and 'when tho lioods ■were on they were prisoners. The maintenance metal contract fodr tin Foxton, Koputaroa, and ileatherlea roads is nearly finished. 1 find it will be necessary to increase the quantities a little on each section ol the Foxton road; it has been knocked ■ about a great deal since the estimate was made. lam afram nothing will be done on Potts't* road lor some time; oven if the formation was dry and ready the pit is full of water. It will be necessary to regrade some of it before laying metal now.