EXTENSIVE WORKS

Rotorua Morning Post, 29 August 1931, Page 3

EXTENSIVE WORKS

p.w.d. activities INTERESTING SURVEY OF ROADING AND : o OTHER WORKS. DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES. The progress of the Rotorua district is refiected in the large areas which are being thrown open for de-velop-ment in its vieinity, and the extent to which roading and other facilities are being improved to give better access to the blocks which are being brought under cultivation. In an interview with the "Post" yesterday, Mr. F. L. Park, engineer-in-charge, gave an outline of the extensive works which have been carried out from the Rotorua branch of the Public Works Department during the past 18 months. One of the most important of these works, said Mr. Park, was the reconstruction of the Rotorua-Taupo main highway, which has now been straightened to the 18-mile peg and can be ranked as a first-class motorists' road". The elimination of unne-cessary and difficult bends has improved the visibility, while the construction of curves on modern principles of superelevation has made the negotiation of the bends a simple matter for the motorist. . The reconstruction, apart from its" other improvements, has resulted in a shortening of the roiad by one mile.

Atiamuri-Rotorua Road. Twelve and a half miles of the Atia-muri-Rotorua road have be-en widened, straightened, and metalled as far as the Taahunaatara stream bridge and the 15-mile peg. This improvement work on the Atiamuri road is vitally important to the progress of the important land development schemes which are at present under way in the Horo Horo and adjacent blocks. Fifteen miles of new road has been eonstructed and five miles metalled on the Whirinaki roading system, which is designed to serve the extensive and valuable land development scheme, b§ing carried out by the Agricultural Department and the Lands Department in the Ngakuru and Guthrie ^bloclfs. Reconstruction and widening work has been carried out on 20 miles of the Ruatahuna- Waikaremoana road, while several miles of the worst section have been metalled and pumiced. During the -reconstruction operations, every opporttnity has been taken to shorten the route of the old road by suitable deviations. This has already resulted in a saving of one and a haif miles in actual distance. Galatea Estate. Thirty-eight miles of new settlement roads have been constructed within the Gaiatea dsiate itself, and jn the Te Teko-Waiohau-Galatea .oad, provis.on has been- made for che immediate metailing of 12 "miles of the most important- access route. A new 100 feet steel girder bridge lias just been compieted over the Whirinaki stream giv,ng access to the south end of the estate from the Rotorua-Ruatahuna main load. In connection with the subdivision of the Galatea estate, the Public Works Department is carrying out 180 miles of fencing. Already 20,000 totara posts have been split and the balance of the 60,000 required will be split within the next three months. A total of 230,000 battens will also be required for this job, and will be cut by the end of this period. Other Activities. Other activities undertaken by thc Department during the period under review have been the construction of the Ward Baths in the Government Gardens, the bitumen sealing of 26,000 square yards of the main drive m the Government Gardens, and the intensive maintenance with motor graders of 300 miles of main highways and other roads in Rotorua, Whakatane, and Taupo counties. In addition, four dangerous one-way bridges on the Rotorua-Whakatane main highway have been recently replaced by« full-length concrete reinforced structures. These works have necessitated the employment of a conSsiderable number of men and as many as 620 were employed on the various works at one stage.