GOOD ROADS.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 29 September 1920, Page 4

GOOD ROADS.

BIG- OUTLAY IN WAIRARAPA. An exchange reports that the 4\ airarapa South County Council has decided to carry out a road improvement scheme, of a permanent nature, which will embrace the main road of tue county between the Waiohine and Waingawa bridges, a distance of six and three-quarter miles. This is providing the money can Ire obtained, and the loan receives the ,-anetion of the ratepayers. The. stretch to be laid down will take in the portion of the main road between Alasterton and Caiterton, which has of late become notorious for its rough condition. Air Laing Meason, civil engineer.

was engaged by the Council in July to prepare a report upon the roadway, and' recently- submitted comprehensive recommendations, which were agreed to, with a slight addition in the width to be laid down.

The engineer stated that he had given much consideration to the question of which system of construction should be adopted, and he had formed a confident opinion that the method Known as tar or bitumen macadam was better than the penetration met hod. All recognised authorities were now agreed that 1 lie method in which stone and binding were mix' -i and incorporated together was better and more lasting than the one which

; depended upon penetration. | The Council already possesses at. i efficient stone-cruslier, elevator, and screw combined, and has on order : ! power-driven road roller. In additio. to the foregoing, a liot-mixer and a portable boiler are required. The iotai ro. l of the new plant will be £3500. 1 The summary of estimates is as fol- '' low ;i;--4VO chains, IM t wide, at. £24 Os rd a chain, £11.505; To chains, L’Ofr, at r-j, 4 :i elm in, £1904; additional | jiems. £l-103; contnigeucies, £741; total j nrd ion cost, £.15,091; machinery. £5500; engineering and eterK of work- . rfjoo; last year’s rates, £1010; grai l : total, £21.357. Ihe engineer eonsideis that tho above estimates will not he exceeded, and the expenditure may I possibly be considerably less. I ' The engineer further reported the.; ; l,i« investigations had convinced hit, ' tli;tt any cheaper method of construe , lion would not. in the long run, prove ' satisfactory or economical. The long experience and exhaustive experience j of engineers in Britain, the United States, and more recently in this country, confirmed him in his opinion. ' The engineer considered that the d.>-

' sign of road submitted, the system o! I Construction advocated, and tie j materials suggested would provide tie- | users with a first-class and perrnanen ; Ccad. and the ratepayers would be sue ject to a minimum rate of upkeep. Tlie Council decided, in adopting lie' report, that the whole length be made •JOft wide, al-o to place the cost id Inn motor lorries on the estimates, which were ihc reused thereby to £25.44fi.