PUKE ROAD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5169, 24 August 1927, Page 2

PUKE ROAD.

WORK OF BOROUGH COUNCIL. GOOD PROGRESS MADE. Probably few ratepayers in the borough realise the vast amount of work that is being carried out by the Paeroa Borough Council on Puke Road. A visit with the Mayor (Mr W. Marshall) to the locality yesterday morning revealed a scene of industrious activity. A number of drays, laden with spoil, and ‘horse teams were steadily plying between tlyp dumps and the particular portion of the road being treated. The road-roller was puffing along leisurely, but none the less effectively, oh its job of scarifying, and then later rolling the surface as required. A little farther on a man was engaged in breaking a great pile of spawls into a convenient size, and a few yards awa.y was a gang of four men spreading metal as fast as they could, so asi to keep the heaps down and not interfere with the traffic, and at the same time keep' pace with the large motor lorries which were arriving every few minutes laden with metal from the quarry. The men engaged, with the exception of three permanent hands, are on the unemployment relief rates of pay, but even so, they appeared to take a pride in their work and were giving satisfactory service. This activity is in the reconstruction of Puke Road from the outfall drain to the borough boundary, a distance of some 40 chains. Of that length a distance of 13 chains has been completed, and a further seven chains should be finished to-day. The greater portion of Puke Road has long beep notorious for the excessive camber, which in some places was so great as to reduce the width of the road to almost a one<-vehicle track. The- first undertaking when it came to reconstructing the road was to reduce the cqmber and, if possible, make a permanent job. This has been done by carting spoil from the banks of the outfall drain and placing it according to the amount required on both sides of the road. Fortunately, the spoil was practically on the job. and in ’ addition to the value of having it handy an added benefit has been conferred. By the removal of the soil from the drain reserve the weight on the banks of the drain has been lessened, and thus slips from the sides, causing blockages, are less likely to occur. However, to get back to the road. With the formation of the clay shoulders stone drains are let in every 50 feet, for the purpose of providing ample drainage for the crown and sides of the road. From the edge of the clay shoulders metal spawls have been laid where necessary to reduce the camber, and after a heavy rolling to a level are dressed with metal. The carriageway, which is 18ft in width, is scarified in the centre and raked evenly, after which new 2%in. metal is applied and rolled into consolidation. Later this is sanded and rolled thoroughly for a. second time. The result is a level and wide avenue which, with attention occasionally, should carry the traffic satisfactorily. The work is being done out of ttl £2OOO unemployment loan, and, under the careful supervision of the Mayor, not a penny is being wasted and remarkably good value is being obtained right through for the money expended. The method of reconstructing the road is a somewhat unusual one for Paeroa, but there can be little doubt that it will be‘ effective. In addition to providing a comfortable road for travellers entering the borough, this method of construction; although economical, is likely to result in a permanent job being done. In the event of the ratepayers later on authorising the proposed loan of £4500, Puke Road, in common with other main highways in the borough, will receive a further dressing of three inches of consolidated metal, which will be bituminised by the penetration method.