WORKS IN MATAMATA COUNTY

Putaruru Press, Volume III, Issue 96, 27 August 1925, Page 5

WORKS IN MATAMATA COUNTY

| ENGINEER’S REPORT. ! | Mr. M. E. Fitzgerald, Matamata ; j county engineer, reported as follows ■ j at the last meeting-; ! “ - ri spite of bad weather there have - been spells of dry conditions, affording- opportunities for reshaping- roads and fhe new one-man grader has been ] : able to do some excellent work, and the comparatively good condition of many of tire earth and sand surfaces may be placed largely to the credit of this machine. ! “ Kinnear completed his contract j for shingling Totman’s road'and the county vehicles have been, able to sand many of tire weak spots and to sur- : f a ce the worst length of the Putaruruj Lichfield back road with local l-ock. * The steam roller and g-ang were, engaged repairing metal surfaces on the Matamata-W aharoa Highway and Tower road. A good deal -of repair work has been done to the surface of tlie road through Hinuera Valley, which is now in very much better condition. Your committee inspected .the metal reserve in Hinuera Valley and went into the question of opening up the quarry at this point. The horse teams completed their work at Hinuera cross roads' and all the animals are now turned out. “ The maintenance of bridges continues to demand considerable attention. The Waitoa bridge, Richmond Downs road, has had a temporary ■span of 17ft erected at -one approach, which was scoured out during the re- I cent floods.

“ The matter of damage to roads by timber traffic at Maungatautari has I been discussed "with the proprietor of the mill and an arrangement, which will be reported upon, has been come 1 to. I “ The flooding* of Mr. Johnson’s property at Peria is the subject of a setvtlemenL which will be reported upon, ||§fej|aiubmitfed for the approval of the jjjjjpA ' tractor with grip-wheels has afpln damaging roads in the WaharoaTuranga area, and It should be laid by the heels, if possible. “ Samples of various local road materials have been sent to Wellington for testing ..purposes aric j: reports on them have not yet come to hand. General specifications with drawings for all proposed road conctruetion on main highways have been deposited with the Main Highways Board and detailed specifications for works proposed to be done during the coming summer have also been prepared and forwarded to the board. In addition the board has complete specifications and drawings for a reinforced concrete bridge l over the Ora-a stream at Tirau. Schemes for other bridges to he put, in hand during the year are in hand; these include bridges on main highways and those on county main roads, which are likely to "be the subject of Public Works grants. The whole of these works depend, of course, upon the county loan becoming' operative at ah early date.” .. Cr. E. J. Darby instanced a case in his riding where a tractor with similar “ grips ” had been damaging the roads. The, report was adopted.