STATE OF DISTRICT ROADS

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 170, 17 April 1939, Page 2

STATE OF DISTRICT ROADS

SOME SURFACES IMPROVED ‘Generally, road surfaces in the Opotiki district, with one or two. exceptions have shown an improvement in recent weeks. The Opotiki-AY hakatano main highway in the Opotiki county has been noticeably improved, and this also applies to the Waioeka road. The surface of the Waioeka gorge, road, while fair, is. net as goad as it was earlier in the season. The roads on. the Gisborne side of the range are in splendid condition, particularly from AYaikoliu down to Ormond, where the sealed section to Gisborne commences. The metal used cn the Gisborne roads is much finer and softer than used in the Opotiki district, and with ample road machinery available gives a. very fine surface to travel on, with almost an entire absence of corrugations. The surface of the old highway from Mo.tu to Opotiki via Toatoa. is in very good order until the AVaiawa bridge is reached. For some time this section, from "the bridge into Opotiki, has been in an appalling state, being badly corrugated almost from end to end, the surface probably being in worse condition than ever previously known. The new East Coast highway is reported to he in very good order, considering all the new work that lias been recently undertaken and tourists and other road users have been quite satisfied with travelling conditions. Judging from conditions in Poverty Bav it would appear that the chief difficulty in keeping a good surface on Opotiki district roads is that the gravel is too. hard and coarse for motor traffic and there is also an obvious shortage of rood machinery as the surface is not receiving the attention that is necessary to keep down corrugations. . v •

The Albtu road is. being considerably improved from the foot of the Alercv mere hill towards Opotiki and the hillsides are being cut well back and the road widened. An air-compresser is in use for drilling purposes and a hull-dozer is also being used to shift rock and spoil in quick time. It is understood that the Meremere hill is also to receive attention.