COST OF MAIN HIGHWAYS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5279, 25 May 1928, Page 2

COST OF MAIN HIGHWAYS

YOUR YEARS’ EXPENDITURE.

G.RAND TOTAL £4,800,000.

A comprehensive statement regarding expenditure on construction and maintenance of roads was made by bhe Prime Minister during a speech at Paparoa last week. The highways work would, he said, be considerably accelerated by the petrol, tax. It was anticipated that the board would spend from £BOO,OOO to £900,000 on the maintenance of the, primary and subsidiary main highways this year. A like amount would be spent on consti uctio|n.

Some 2750 miles of, subsidiary roads had been, declared main highways, sa’d Mr Coates, and recommendations for another. 800 miles were in hand. In less tha.n four years the board l had assisted in the construction of 450 miles of metal roads, 240' miles of tar and bituminous roads, 27 miles of concrete roads, and over, four miles of bridges. The expenditure during that period totalled nearly £3,750,000, of which £1,784,000 was for construction. In addition local authorities had found £870,000 for maintenance and £725,000 for construction, making a total of 2% millions on maintenance and 2% millions on construction. Approximately £1,250,000 a year had been spent on 6400 miles of main, highways:, the grand total for four years being £4,800,000. THE COUNTIES’ BURDEN. There was still about 35,000 miles of road which had to be maintained by the general taxpayer and the counties without assistance from motorists.. The petrol tax would enable the board to give better subsidies to the counties adjacent to the large centres of population. Main roads through a,U boroughs of less than 6000 people had been declared main highways, so that frojm now on 10,000 miles of the country’s roadihg system would be brought within the range of tibe wider benefits of the Highways Board’s operations. The boa.rd had already approved subsidies of £3 for £1 for the construction of high-class surfacing ip. the vicinity of Hastings, Wanganui, Nelson, and Christchurch. Other schemes were in process of development, and the board was taking the initiative in the preparation of such schemes in the districts immediately surrounding all centres of over 6000 inhabitants. The net expenditure by the Governfment on construction .and maintenance of roads and bridges other, than main, highways totalled £2,698,280 over the four years ending March, 1928. Maintenance took £231,678. and construction £2,466,60*2.