COROMANDEL NEWS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3293, 28 July 1943, Page 6

COROMANDEL NEWS

ROADS & BRIDGES WORK ON THE PENINSULA COROMANDEL COUNTY ENGINEER’S REVIEW OF MONTH The following report reviewing work carried out on the roads, wharves and bridges on the peninsula during the past month was presented to the July meeting of the 'Coromandel County Council by the county engineer, Mr A. H. Benham. The report read as under:— Main Highways Thames-Coromandep No. 600.—“-Ow-ing to the excessive rain during the past month two slips on the foreshore section of this highway have been giving trouble. The big slip which came down several years ago necessitating the formation of the road across its face has commenced to move forward again. The grader and gang were at work on this slip and have taken a further 6ft. off the face thus forming the road to its normal width. The other slip is near Russek’s and has subsided on the outer side of the formation a depth of approximately a foot for half the width of the road. This depression has been built up but requires continual watching. The grader was put over the whole length of this highway and a day’s metal patching was carried out, A smMl stone wall was erected at the outlet to a culvert which was undermining the road on the Manaia hill.

Coromandel-Mercury Bay No. 309. —The grader has been put over this highway, the water-tables and culverts attended to and the gang have .been cutting back gorse and scrub to improve the visibility. The heavy rain brought a slip down in Egan’s quarry, covering the metal already prepared; most of this has been cleared and the quarry is again ready for use.

Tapu-Kaimarama No. 485.—The surfaceman has been engaged, in clearing slips, watertables, etc., and the grader was put over the whole of this highway. The contractor has recommenced crushing and carting maintenance metal on the Rangihau-county boundary section, 108 c. yards having been delivered at the end of last week. Main Highway- Bridges During the month a letter was received from the engineer, 'Public Works, Paeroa, stating that the Main Highways Board had asked for a tentative programme of bridge construction as visualised over the next five years, the' information to be supplied before July 3. Accordingly I made a detailed inspection of all the mainhighway bridges in the county and scheduled the information required. This five-year programme includes six bridges on the Thames-Coroman-del highway, Furey’s bridge on the Coromandel wharf highway, 12 bridges on the Coromandel-Mercury Bay highway, and two on the Tapu-Kai-marama highway but does not include the Kaimarama river .bridge. The estimated cost provides for a 24ft. road width for the bridges on the ThamesCoromandel highway and Furey’s ■bridge and 12ft, road width for the remainder. The aggregate length of the bridges to be reconstructed will be 767 ft. and the estimated total cost including approaches £18950. Main Roads Whenuakite-Whitianga Ferry.—As previously arranged, Mr Stocker has been attending to urgent surface work on this road, and has been assisting Mr Colville in carting and spreading ’maintenance metal from the dumps on the roadside. The gang has been sent over to ins tai the cifl vert pipes near the Hahei Quarry, and the angledozer is being used to construct the filling over the culvert*. Whitianga-Kuaotunu.—A 9in. pipe culvert was laid in this road, some small slips cleared and ' a couple of days’ surface maintenance carried cut. Whangapoua-Owera.—Repairs were effepted to the Opitonui bridge; four additional piles were driven and new capping pieces put in the middle of each span. The worst of the decking was patched up .but lack of timber prevented further repairs. A couple of days’, surface work was carried out on this road.

Coromandel-Kennedy’s. Bay.—The grader was put over the section of this road between the concrete ford and the Whareroa road, and where possible the grass edges; were cut off to enable the surface water to get away. A slip occurred at the top of the Tokatea Hill ’blocking the road through a cutting. ■ This was cleared and a couple of days were spent attending to watertables, etc. ■ Coromandel-Port Jackson: The .grader was used at Oamaru Bay to put the road in-order for metalling and

a couple of men were at work getting metal ready neai’ Amodeo Bay, but the wet weathdr set in before the metal could be put on. Deck repairs, were effected to the small bridge at Waiaro and a truck and gang have been patching the road, .between Waiaro and Port Jackson, 74 c. yds. having been spread. Surface maintenance has also been carried out where required on various lengths of this road. On the Coromandel Hotel-Kennedy’s Bay road fine shingle was spread over the footpaths which had previously been trimmed up. Big Bay-Port Charles.—A slip has occurred on the hill going down into Port Charles and arrangements have been made with local residents to get it cleared. The ford at Waikawau scoured out, leaving the roadway in a dangerous condition; instructions have been given for this wash-out to be filled in and the road made safe for traffic. Ridings Colville.—Further culverts have been lifted from the old wharf road and relaid where required on riding roads, Coromandel.—During the past month three breaks have occurred, in the water supply mains, which have been repaired, a new hydrant put in the main adjacent to the Hauraki Packing Co’s, works, and repairs authorised to the road to the factory. Kuaotunu.—The drum culvert at the foot of the Black Jack Hill was completed and filled in and several bad corners taken off the hill. A start was macle with the raising of the Otama causeway but this work was held up with the bad weather. The work at Mr H. Simpson’s, for Mr Stronach was not completed prior to last meeting as stated in my last report, and. (Swing to the continued wet weather it has not been practicable to work in the bush. A cracked ballrace developed in the angledozer hydraulic pump, the last day this machine was worked and this has been renewed whilst the machine was lying idle. Whitianga.—A start was made to grade the by-roads in Whitianga township but the wet weather prevented much progress. Instructions have been given for a couple of days’ metalling to be done on the Moewai road.

- Whenuakite.—ln company with Cr. Minifie, I met Mrs Hamlin on the site of her proposed access road and explained the position to her. It was arranged that I should get in touch with the Chief Surveyor on the question of the legalisation of the portion of the road through the Crown land section and confer with her again on receipt of the Chief Surveyor’s reply. The carting of shingle in 3 c. yds. lorries during the wet weather to the Government works at Hot Water Beach definitely damaged the surface at Tye’s Hill. When the roads to the ferry and to Hot Water Beach were originally metalled by the Bublie Works Department, they left dumps of metal on the roadside for future maintenance requirements and at their request approximately 100 c. yds. of this maintenance metal has been carted and spread on the above mentioned hill. It is anticipated that during this present week the gang will place in position the pipe culvert near Lilley’s on the Hahei road and the angledozer will be used for removing the existing bridge and placing the filling. Whilst the angledozer is in this riding I propose to try and improve the width of the Rangih.au road by pushing off the outer edge of the formation wherever practicable and so allow the surface water to be drained off. This should help a little with the maintenance of this road. Wharves Whitianga-Ferry.—The repairs to the concrete and step at this landing which were authorised at the April meeting have been satisfactorily completed and inspected. Whitianga.—lnstructions have been given for repairs to the two hand ladders and fixing of the gate on the cattle race, and to a mooring pile at the launch steps. General During the past two months it was noticed that one of the back wheels of the grader was not doing . its full share of the work and during the wet weather 1 the axle was dismantled when it was found that most of the studs fastening the two parts of the differential had sheared off and also that a tooth of the bevelled pinion had broken. These were taken into Thames and repaired. The hydraulic pump was also giving trouble, but although a new washer which was required is unobtainable in New Zealand the pump was fixed up and the machine is again in working order. The continuous rain during the past six weeks has materially affected the work in this county and following as

it has a long spell of fine weather numerous small slips have occurred. Our programme of works has consequently been upset and jobs which would have been in progress or completed have not yet been started, however the roads have all been kept open and maintained as well as the weather permitted. In regard to the angledozer, it will not be practicable to recommence in the bush whilst the wet weather continues and it is for this reason the machine has been transferred to the open country work at Whenuakite. Should the weather improve the schedule as set down can be adhered to but failing this I propose, subject to your approval, to transfer the machine to the Port Jack-son-Fletcher’s Bay job which can be done in any weather.