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Hokitika Guardian, 14 November 1929, Page 4

The opening of the sixty miles of Coast road to give the most direct tonne.lion between Westport and Grey mouth is now practically accomplished. Although ail the works intended are not yet hlushed, and will not he for iwelve mo..ths or so, the road is in oeing and the through access is possible. -Many now pass to and fro regularly, notwithstanding that three streams are bridgeless and some 2.) miles of road are not yet effectively onditioned. The road as far as completed is a. good road, of convenient width ami excellent surface. It is c lear when in proper order, and traffic is independent of tides to ford the rivers, that the volume will grow greatly. This new road will justify i tec if because it will he of such convenience, and so time saving in covering the distance between tne two points mentioned. Probably it would have been an accomplished fact long ago, but lor me proposal to push the railway through the Duller Gorge and link with the Westland system at Jnangahun. The Government doubtless feared that the road would mop up future passenger traffic by rail, anil the road had very little consideration. With the slow construction of the railway line, often only a spasmodic effort for a time, the people became restless, and the demands of settlement along the route for the road becoming more insistent, the progress ol the road became more marked, f inally, under favouring (auditions of the tide, the übiquitous motor nosed its way through and the route became unofficially opened. Ine demand for improyements then became insistent, and the authorities have responded well, and the completion of the highway is now within measurable distance. The road will be one of great service. It taps a failamount of good country and will assist, settlement. It will serve a.great general convenience in shortening the time for travel between two populous centres lb is going to assist the cooperative coal mining. It will become a popular tourist route. Generally it will be a greatly used road The fact that two centres of considerable numbers will be in so close toil:h will mean much inter-communication. Altogether the road will serve practical purposes, and there will he regrets k was not at the convenience of the public much earlier.