THE COUNTY ROADS.
INSPECTED BY COLONEL
SYMONDS
Last Saturday Colonel Symonds, of the British Imperial Oil Company, England, an authority on roading construction, and at present in New Zealand in connection with the general roading scheme now in vogue since the establishment of the Main Highways Board, was conducted over the roads of the Manawatu County Council by the County Engineer: (Mr. Hickford.)
In conversation with out representative, while in Foxton, Colonel Symonds said he was very favourably impressed with our borough. A feature of the town was its wide streets and the citizens of Foxton could be proud of their Main Street. He had been conducted over the Whirokino road and had viewed the sight of the proposed deviation of the road across Mr. Robinson’s property and was emphatic that this deviation was a very necessary work. To his mind there were no difficulties to be overcome in carrying out the scheme as proposed by the Manawatu County Council. In reference to roading work in general, Colonel Symonds strongly urged the use of bitumen in laying down permanent roads. Tar sealig was quite good but was not to be compared with the laying down of bitumen. Tax 1 sealed roads required top-dressing about every twelve months whereas a bitumen road lasts three to four years and a saving in maintenance cost was thus made. A disadvantage in the use of the tar was that it became soft in hot weather, whereas bitumen, if properly laid down, always retained a hard surface. The cost, too, of laying bitumen was cheapei'. Given a good surface, bitumen could be laid at a cost of 8d to 9d a square yard. Questioned as to the possibility of laying bitumen on top of the tarsealed surface of Main Street, Colonel Symonds, said that such a surface was ideal for the purpose. He warn,ed jocali,bodies.against scarifying good surfaces such as were offered in the borough of Foxton, in the laying down of bitumen. Where the roads were not already tarsealed, all that was required to prepare the existing surface was a coating of road oil.
'During the last hive years Colonel Symonds has visited eleven countries in connection with roading schemes and has recently returned from Japan, where lie was engaged in mapping out new roads for that country.
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Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2969, 1 December 1925, Page 3
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384THE COUNTY ROADS. Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2969, 1 December 1925, Page 3
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