Making Main Highways

Shannon News, 14 August 1925, Page 3

Making Main Highways

HOROVtfHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL’S SCHEME. WHEN WILL CONSTRUCTION BEGIN? The scheme for constructing perman ent highways throughout the Horowhonua County at a cost of £170,000, occupied the close attention of the County Council at its meeting on Saturday. Councillors were anxious to know when actual construction work would commence. Work To Start Immediately. The County Engineer reported as follows: —

“The Main Highways survey has been completed as far as the Otaki Bridge and the plans, etc., for the section between Warkanae and Te Horo will be eompletd by Monday or Tuesday of next week.

“I have applied to the Highways Board for permission to commence work on the section between Manaltau and Levin (see my letter and reply attached). As this section (6i miles) is through good country and the formation is more than the width required it is proposed to get the material for this work from the Muhunoa pit and from pit near Waikawa Bridge. .“The new Anderson crusher has been set up and is in readiness for an early start. “The information required by the Highways Board has been forwarded and I hope to be able to make a start, with the work almost immediately. “I have received advice that the new road-rollers have been shipped and will arrive about the first week in September. The 42-h.p. and 25-h : .p. motors ivih arrive in the second week of September. The large crusher and chip crusher should also arrive in September. The 4-ton Thornycroft lorry came to hand at the beginning of the period. “My specification for the supply of bitumen has been approved by the Highways Department and tenders are being invited at once so that the first consignment will come forward not later than the end of October. I would also advise that a bitumen sprayer and boiler be ordered at an early date so that there will be no delay in starting the paving when the bitumen conics to hand. Getting Impatient. Cr. Harkncss asked if the engineer could give an approximate date when the Main Highways scheme would be commenced. He was very keen to see that work started and was getting, a little impatient. The main thing was to get the crushed metal out on to the side of the road and get it in order for the penetration. Could they not push the Public jWorks Department a little and commence work. They were held up at the commencement by a flaw in the Act and now were again hampered by the Department when they were ready to proceed. It was admitted that their engineer had been first in with his plaus and specifications and had his staff ready. It was unfair that he should now be prevented from going on. Cr. Harkness asked Councillors to allow the engineer to concentrate on this work and not call him all over the County for little matters. Reasons for Delay.

The chairman said the Main Highways Board had no reason whatever to hofcl up the work, nor had the Public Works Department. The Highways Board, in fact, was very anxious for the Council to begin spending its money. The County, however, had to submit very full specifications of such work as they were prepared to proceed with. The) Highways Board had already adopted the provisional survey and now the County Engineer had to submit full details of the work. Those details from Waikanae to Otaki had practically been done. In the meantime the engineer considered that it, would be an advant-

age to strengthen' the road between Manakau and Levin and the Highway, 1 ’ Board had stated that if the width and depth of metal on this particular portion was given, they would be prepared to give authority for the metal to be put on it. That authority was expected within a day or two. Even if they had had the money they eouid have gone on no faster. There had been a slight hitch in the raising of the money, the chairman explained, in' that the Highways Board did not delegate back to the County Council just as much power as they should have done. Five or six Counties who had taken proposals before the ratepayers were in the same position, and it would be necessary to have the validation of these loan proposals. They had an assurance that the validation would go

through this session. That was one thing that had prevented the County borrowing the money it required through the Government Life Insurance Department. Cr. Harkriess contended that from the correspondence with the engineer it wa s the Public Works who were holding up the main highways scheme by delay in inspecting the Levin-Manakau section and giving the certificate required. The chairman said they expected Mr. Hannah along any day now, hut he was certainly not to blame in the matter. The chairman said he had had the pleasure of working with him on the Highways Board during the past few months, and if there was on'e man in the public service who was over-worked it was Mi. Hannah. No man could have done more to assist the Horowhenua County’s project and the Highways Board had played the game in the matter. Cr. Catley asked what was the earliest date on which the engineer could start. . The County engineer said that R given authority ho could start next day. He wanted the metal put on as soon as possible so that the traffic would consolidate it. Nature of the Work.

Cr. Ryder asked whether any report was available as to the cost of maintenance of the piece of road near Levin that had been tar-sealed. It would be of value in view of the main highways scheme. He pointed out that the estimate for bituminous roads had been a long way below the mark in the Hutt. The chairman said the road south of

Levin could not be compared with the work proposed to be done under the Highways scheme. It actually required another coat every 18 months or two years, whereas the Main Highways would have a wearing course on top oi three to four inches. The bitumen would not be mixed with the metal before being put down, but would mix by penetration into the metal. If they compared the maintenance of the tarsealed road with the portion between there and the Oh an River, they would find that it was a very good investment. It actually only took a little more than one year’s maintenance to put down and had only cost 38s for maintenance since with two day’s labour. Its lengti was H miles. The average maintenance of the main roads was about £2OO per mile and an eminent engineer had told him lately that the cost would nso i with the growth of motor traffic to to'iu per mile.