THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 1914 ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 180, 20 March 1914, Page 2

THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 1914

ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

"We nothing extenuate, nor set down auaht in malice."

We are very pleased to see the Borough Council have endorsed the foreman's proposal to put down a small section of Edinburgh street properly, and we hope that from this on the motto " of do a little but do it well " will be adopted for road construction. The Council have also sanctioned the expenditure of £IOO on King street for repairs. Some day, if the people seriously wish •to do away with the mud of winter and the dust of summer King street will have to be made a tar-sealed road in some form or other. We would suggest to the Council that nest year they try an experiment by laying down a small section of King street with some tar preparation or macadam It would be useful in showing its traffic-carrying capabilities ; in affording a means of comparison ia tho cost of upkeep, and in providing a solution of the mud and dust nuisances. In connection with this subject a report made to the Wanganui County Council by its engineer, Mr A. C. Merrington, should be of interest to local bodies generally throughout this district. The report deals in an exhaustive manner with the various kinds of roads at present in use in the Dominion, including those made of the recently discovered preparations, "soltar" and " restar." During the course of his investigations Mr Mannington travelled over a large portion of tho roads in the Eltham County and inspected the tar sealed roads there, and also those in tho neighbouring borough of Hawera. Dealing with the cost of the tar sealed as against other roads ho stated that two Eltham councillors he discussed the matter with declared that formerly when they had wretched roads their rates were high, whilst now, with their roads in a better condition, their rates weie no higher. Following up this line and collecting all the data available, it appeared clear enough that if metal costs more than a certain price per yard it does not pay to have it kicking about the roads and that it is not a question only of whether a local body can afford to allow metal costing say £6OO per mile to be wasted. In tar sealed "roads every stone is in its place and supposing that the road is built of twenty yards of metal to the chain covered with two inches of tar compo this covering is taking all the wear and the metal underneath must last a very long time indeed. The cost of a metal foundation is set down at £BOO per mile and the tur seal of " restar " at £l5O per mile. Mr Maunington estimates that at the rate traffic is increasing the £BOO road would be so far destroyed as to be a bud road in six years' time and would cost £4OO per mile to repair, whilst a tar sealed road in the same period would cost £225 per mile to repair. It is claimed that if a road can be metalled with gravel at a cost of four shillings per cubic yard aud the ratepayers are satisfied with the loose surface there is nothing to bo gained by tarring it. The only saving would be to the users of the road in tho maintenance of thoir vehicles and the cost of traction. Dealing with the preparations soltar and restar, both, it is claimed, retain their resilient properties but the former is the dearer of tho two, being about double the cost of Mr Basham's preparation. To mako modern roads completely up to date it is recommended that all wooden bridges and culverts that are unsafe for loads of ten tons be renewed in concrete. A rough estimate of the cost of modernising 7") miles of roads and bridges is set down at £30,000 made up as follows :—75 miles to mako good with motal and rolling, three yards metal to chain, £OOOO. • Rolling and sweeping £750. Restar coating I'J feet wide including top-dressing with gravel £11,150. Rolling 6ame £750. Renewing bridges and culverts in concrete £BOOO. Ten ton roller and scarifier £750, crusher and grader £l2O, engine £2OO, tar carrier and pump £l5O, mechanical sweeper £OO, portable huts and Miudries £2OO, first year's altered and sinking fund on loan £ISOO, cost of raising £270, total £30,000.