WIDENING PLAINS ROAD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5376, 18 January 1929, Page 3

WIDENING PLAINS ROAD.

PIPIEOA-WiAITAKABURU SECTION. COUNTY ENGINEER’S REPORT. As instructed by the Hauraki Plains County Council at its December mating, ,tihe engineer, Mr F. Basham, reported to yesterday’s meeting, on thq advantages of launching the PipiroaWaitakaruru road, anti the cost of same, as follows :— “I have prepared an average typical cross-section of the road), from which it will be seen that the crown is much too high for the safety of traffic, and for economical maintenance. To reduce this crown the meet efficient method would be to in- . crease the depth, of meta} at the sides and provide launching to retain same. The average width of the existing metal is 16ft from edge to edge, but owing to excessive crown not more than 12ft is available f° r traffic. In view of. the rapidly increasing volume of motor traffic, and taking into consideration the long, straight, level stretches on this road, I advocate increasing the width s of the metal to 18ft and providing <t haunches, making a total width ° 26it. The great advantage this increased width andi reduced cross-cam-ber would be to provide a two-way traffic road which would be a considerable factor in reducing cost of maintenance, and at the same time would be providing an adequate foundation against the time when it may be necessary to construct a fixed ’surface. In estimating the cost of this work the chief problem is the provision of. spoil for haunching, and the only available source between Dalgety’s Corner and Waitakaruru Canal appears to be from enlargement of the drain. This might be a matter for discussion between the council and .the Hauraki West Drainage Board. I estimate the cpst of the work suggested, at £l3OO per mile. “The foregoing report can equally well be applied to that portion of road between .the Waitakaruru Canal and Haley’s Corner in particular, and in a modified degree to the balance of the road to P.uke Bridge. If instructed, I will submit the proposal to the z Main High,ways Board and ascertain what amount of subsidy would be.paid on .tiliis work, and) whether. it would be approved in its present form or in a modified form. Cr, Walton reported that Cr. Parfitt wds of the opinion that the finance could not be arranged, but considered that for t)he Pipiroa Road section hhe spoil c.ould be provided by the; enlargement of the roadsidd drain. The Drainage Board had the matter of widening and deepening the drain tinder consideration. ■A committee, comprising the chairman, Cr. Parfitt, and the engineer, was set up, to deal with this part of the proposal. Regarding the rest of the highway, 'the chairman said that*it wciuld be advisable to thoroughly investigate the matter before reading a decision. Councillors agreed that the widening of the highway was desirable, bat that it would) be advisable to ascertain the views of the Highways BPhrd before proceeding. The committee would obtain these views when it approached the board with reference to the clay from the drain. Combining thq most illustrations from overseas, with the latest topical happenings, the current week’s issue of the “N.Z. Sporting and Dramatic Review” is full of interest from cover to cover. The double c.entre pages are brilliantly set out with snapshots on the lawn at Ellerslie during the New Year carnival, showine the latent in summer fashions. The A.J.C. and Tattersall’s Club at Randwick, and the Thames Jockey Club’s annual meeting, provide an excellent series of photo-l graphs that will appeal to sportsmen. The water polo match, ponsonby Swimming Club V- H.M.S. Diomede, competitors at .the Dominion Bowling Association’s 1929 tournament, and the Y.W.C.A. Conference at Marton are epch represented in live sets of pictures. Very picturesque are the scenes depicting crossing the English Channel in rough Wither, and another impressive page is of the ( Ry 6 lifeboat disaster arid the Kentish Coast ashore Plymouth. In the stage and screen sections a fasQniating collection of. photographs, appear, together with pictures of the League of Nations, pageant at Wellington and the Christchurch ' production of “Milestones.’ “TAXI, SIR ?” I noticed, as he said it, he wao husky. “Left my Pulmonas at home to-day,” he explained. I gave him one of mine. He was grateful. 'have Pulmonas always with you. You may be husky to-day and have a c.ojdl tor morrow. Pulmonas, Is 6d and 2s Cd fr.qm all chemists.*