TE HORO'S ROADS.

Shannon News, 18 August 1925, Page 4

TE HORO'S ROADS.

CR. JENSEN'S COMPLAINT.

At Saturday's meeting of the Horotvhenua County Council, Cr. Jensen said the roads at Te Horo wore getting worse and worse and there would he no roads left if the Council did not do Honi'cthing. The heavy traffic had damaged tin m and the Power Board was helping to spoil them. He had asked for the County plant to go down there and he had asked for the work to be done by contract, but he got neither. They had not even got a roadman and if the Council allowed the by-roads to go to pieces it would be very serious. Whatever was going to be done he hoped they would not wait too long.

Replying to Or. Jensen, the chairman said he agreed that the roads were not too good and they could not expect I hem to be while the wet weather lasted. It was impossible to have all the roads at ail times in really good order. He mentioned that the Te Horo roadman had to go to work at the Roaring JJeg Bridge. Another aspect of the loading question had to be considered. They were spending the current year's irttes, very lit lie of which had been colleeted, or would come in before September, and mostly in December. If they were going to spend the estimates in the lust part of the year, it would cost them a lot in bank interest. It was right to spin the maintenance out for nine or twelve months. If £14,000 to £15,000 was spent in the first six months they would finish up with a huge overdraft, and no roads. lief erring to the contemplated expenditure on the two bridges in the To Horo riding, the chairman said it was a 1 frightful thing that a riding such as Te Horo should be saddled with these expensive works. He indicated a probable method of finance by subsidy and .loan.

In answer to Cr. Jensen, the chairman said they were still awaiting a reply in regard to the flood water at Te Horo. The Engineer's report was as follows: — In the Te Horo Hiding the metalling in the southern end has been practically completed but the roads in the northern end require some maintenance metal. Work on the Roaring Meg Bridge, Otaki Gorge, is in hand. The structure has been raised and the abutment pier on the southern bank put in place. It will also be necessary to strengthen the northern abutment. Taungata bridge. —I have gone care-' fully into the question of repairs,, renewals of anchors, etc., for. this bridge and estimate the cost at £630. Wiaihoanga bridge.—Attached hereto are alternative estimates for the re erection of the bridge on old site and for erection of bridge on suggested new site further down stream. Although the length of the bridge at the old site is a good deal greater that at the suggested n'ew site, the cost is less, owing to the fact that land would have to be aequired and a new road, on a. steep grade and through a fairly heavy breast cutting, would have to be formed. Estimated cost of bridge at old site, £1890; at new site, £2263.