OTOKO HILL ROAD

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 266, 1 December 1939, Page 1

OTOKO HILL ROAD

WItyEINING OF 'ROUTE REOONSTR UCT lON PLANS SI 1 ART AFTER’ CHJUSTMA S “Tenders a rev out at present for tlio almost complete reconstruction of. the Otoko Hill road, from the top of the .hill to a point a mile further down, on the Matnwai sidle,” said the' district engineer, Mr. (>. G. Thornton, reccnt]y. Mr. Thornton, added that lie did not think that there would be any ynprovement to the alignment of tlic road for the Christinas traffic, but that those using the Gisborne-Opotiki, via Wnioeka, State highway next'year would have the benelit of the new work. Owing to the nature of tlie present hill road and the extent of the new formation, which would include tlie general widening of the. highway, large cuttings, and fillings, some difficulty might bo experienced by the contractor in keeping open the route. It might he necessary to carry on the work and close the roadl at night. If that was done the shortest deviation would 1)C by the. Whakarau road, which connected with the State highway again, at Motuhora. It would be possible to use the Here read as a deviation during the summer mouths. The country on the Otoko hill section of the route north was unstable and difficult to work on account of the papa foundation mi the. bluffs. Mr. Thornton said that there was not much solid country in that vicinity' to form the basis of a good stable road, out tiio reconstruction plans would allow for a greatly improved highway compared with the one that was in use at present. - Improvements Beyond Ormond Speaking generally about improvements to tlie highways in Gisborne that would ho available to the motoring public before the Christmas season, Mr. Thornton said that the main work would be the sealing of four and a-quarter miles of road beyond Ormond. That ivoukl include Scott's deviation and would take the sealing out 151 miles north of Gisborne. The Kaitaratahi Hill road would not he included in. tlie present programme as the Sealing of that section whuld bo done later. Although the method of laying the drnimul length of road wa.s new in the Gisborne district, it had been, proved to be satisfactory in other centres, The process was a road mix in which a bottom course of metal with a clay binding wa.s allowed, to consolidate. Road traffic assisted in that consolidation. process and the surface was kept in trim by constant grading and general triirfming up. 'lhc* bottom course bad set satisfactorily at Ormond and the first section bad been sealed with a. thin coating of’tar.