BITUMEN ROADS

Hokitika Guardian, 10 June 1932, Page 2

BITUMEN ROADS

REMOVAL, OF SUMPS. A WELLINGTON EXPERIMENT, WELLINGTON, June 8. Following discussions on tire honing of bitumen roads by a special plant to remove bumps which appear with the traffic, the city engineer undertook trials on a portion of the Petone Esplanade with a machine borrowed from the Public Works Department.

At to-day’s meeting of the City and Suburban Highways Board, a Canterbury company wrote offering to make a special demonstration of the benefits of honing on a. half mile stretch, preferably of a portion of the road showing the greatest roughometer differences, and guaranteeing to give a five times smoother road. With certain plant provided by the Board, the total cost of the suggested trial would be £250.

The city engineer (Mr G. A. Hart) ■said that it was anticipated that the cost of such a trial would come out of money already allocated for maintenance. Tests made by themselves had shown a reduction from a 400 test to a 70 test. The suggested tost, could well be made to join up with the portion of the Esplanade done hv his officers, and this would give a valuable test of comparison of costs. The real test of the honing wars how would the surface stand up to the traffic afterwards? It was decided to accept the offer of the southern firm.