The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) FRIDAY, MARCH 28th, 1924. TAR SEALED ROADS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 March 1924, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) FRIDAY, MARCH 28th, 1924. TAR SEALED ROADS.

Although the Borough Council resolved some weeks ago upon tar-sealing a section of Revell Street by wav of exporimont, the lesolution is still a dead letter —nothing attempted, nothing done. In the North Island in particular tar-sealing has become the vogue as a cheap and ready means to ensure better road maintenance. The experience in that quarter might encourage tlio local Council to launch out, and taking its courage in both hands, give effect to its dormant resolution. In many cities asphalting and concreting are adopted in road construction, but this is expensive, and a less costly method is that, of tar-sealing. Tar-seal-ing is in universal practice in the Taranaki district for instance, and the roads in that part of the Dominon are spoken of very Highly. In many of the lesser Boroughs in the North Island the principal thoroughfares are tar-sealed, and present a cleanly appearance, and carry the traffic more or less heavy, very satisfactorily. An officer of a North Island local body reporting on the work of his Council goes on to say:

“It is now nearly ten years since we laid down our first tarred roads—two miles. The next year we put down about twelve miles. These roads are as good to-day, if not better, than when they were first put down. The average cost per chain for a twelve-foot road was about Bos, exclusive of metalling. These roads cost its less than 15s per chain per year for maintenance. Under the old system it used to cost us 50s per chain for maintenance, and then we never had a good road after the first twelve months. We have nowover sixty miles of tarred roads, and the surface of them is quite even, and free from pot holes. Tho traffic on our main roads is very heavy, as the following will show. Early in January we took a tally of traffic on several of our roads over one week. I will give yo\l t% mqirt Sous Row? fop one

day : —22 5-ton lorries, 8 smaller lorries, 83 motor oars, 26 milk carts, 46 other vehicles, besides motor cycles and stock. Our rates are the same as they were ten years ago, hut besides maintaining our tarred and other roads each year, wo lay down from four to six miles of new permanent tarred road out of general rates. The Chairman wished mo to state that the Council is more than satisfied with their tarred roads, and that if they had not gone in for this system their rates must have been double what they arc to-day, and the roads would not he so good. I might state that we get, up to five years’ wear out of a coat of tar after a road is properly surfaced, and four years is a common thing.”

The foregoing is an interesting report which should encourage the suhejet as a whole being studied closely by all local bodies. One County in the North Island lias a proposal put before it by its Engineer to spend £05,000 in loan moneys tar soali ng the main roads. In another instance the Chairman of a local body said he was ol opinion that if ten years ago the Council had started a system of tar-sealing it would now have a largo extent of the main road sealed without having spent any greater amount of money than was done up to the present. 'I liese examples should give courage and confidence to other local bodies to take up a class of work which is not only economical but produces a better class of road for general traffic. It should he possible to work on tho experience of different districts which have carried out tar-sealing work, both as to cost and method. Naturally the machinery used is an important item. Laborsaving and up to date methods are obviously necessary so as to get over the length of road. For instance, the Levin Borough Council which has its main street in admirable order, put up what is claimed to he a Dominion record in bitumen spraying by spraying 2,400 yards in eight ,hours. AY here tile work can Lie peilormod with such celerity it is clear a good plant well used is i it operation. This suggests that it would he worth while on the part of the Borough Council making due enquiry in regard to plant. The facility with which a plant can he used governs the cost of the work, and now that there is so much being done in tar-sealing there should ho ample information readily available as to tho most economical plant to be acquired. If the local Council were to work along these lines it could sot about the work with every confidence and in the end the ratepayers and the travelling public would he grateful for the excellent thoroughfares which would result.