COUNTY WORKS.

Shannon News, 15 November 1929, Page 4

COUNTY WORKS.

REPORT BY THE ENGINEER. The County Engineer (Mr J. T. M, Brewster) reported a« follows for the month of October, at the meeting of -' the Horowhenua County Council on Saturday:— Tokomaru Riding.— No. 1 crusher has been employed crushing metal in the Tokomaru River for various roads in the riding. Maintenance metal has ben put on the Main Highway, Kaihinau, Ashlea-Temuka-nui and Kara Roads. Two small wooden bridges on the Main Highway have been painted. The grader has been at work on the Main Highway and Akers' -' roads. Tie access road to Mr R. L. Tippler's property near Kara bridge has been metalled. The Council's liability ha* now been overcome. Pipes for a new culvert on the Main ■ Highway at Makerua Hill have been ordered and will be put in place as soon as they come to hand. Toi Toi Street, Tokomaru, will receive some maintenance metal before the crusher leaves the District.

Wirokino Riding.—

* Maintenance metal has been put on Hokio Beach, Ohau We&t, and Muhunoa East Roads. Grading has been carried out on the Main Highways, Koputaroa-Foxton, Paiaka, Tavistdek, Hcatherlea-Koputaroa, Kukutauaki, Kawiu, Ohau West, Hogg's, Kuku Sold- ' iers, tfuhnnoa East and West, Kimberley and Gladstone Roads and Queen Street. To date 3207 cubic yards of

pavement metal" has ben delivered on '■ the -Levin-Foxtaii Main Highway. The contractors have completed the piers and abutments in the Kuku Stream bridge and are now working on the deck slab. ' The Public Works Estimates for tha current year are now available and show the following items that were applied for by the Council, approvedMark's, Ohau West, Ohau East, and Paiaka Roads, also Taungata bridge. Hokio-Waitarere and Lindsay Road grants do not appear on the Estimates. An it 3m for the reconstruction of the Waihoanga bridge does not appear in these estimatea, as that would not be a charge against the Public Works Fund.

An estimate for reticulating Buller Road with water pipes has been compiled and forwarded to the interested parties. A culvert has been delivered to Mr A. M. Bradfield and installed in a satisfactory manner. Otaki Riding.— Maintenance metal has been placed on Rahui, Blair's, and Waitohu Valley Roads. Drains on the South Manakan Road have been cleaned. A culvert* has been installed on Blair's Road. The footpath on Te Whata Road has beon attended to. The bitumen sealing of ttie Waikawa railway, crossing has been completed and the unpaved portion r,t Staples's has received its final coat uf bitumen. Three piers in the Waikawa River bridge are completed. Te Horo Riding.— General maintenance work has been carried out in this liding. -Maintenance metal has been gut on the Otaki Gorge, Te Whaka and Addington Roads. Grading lias been carried oi'l. on Waikanae Beach and Waimeha Roads. Lupins have been cut on Waimeha Township Roads. Ranger. — The Ranger reports having dealt with 46 head of wandering stock during the month. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS. Or. Ryder referred to the new metal on-the Otaki Golf Links Road, saying that he would like the Engineer to look- at it when the plant was down there, to see whether it was desirable to roll it. The metal was very loose, and did not seen: to settle. HEATHERLEA CORNER.

Cr. Gimblett said he was of opinion that something would have to be done on the Levin-Koputaroa Road where it loft the Main Highway; he had been at that place twice lately, and complaints had been made that, on the deviation at Davis's corner the level of the Highway had'been raised, so that it was incined to throw the traffic on to the right. There was a very real danger of a collision, when coming from the Heatherlea East Ro;.d iound the corner. He considered that this was one of the comers that would have to be dealt with, following upon the Highways Board's report that the levels of "corners had to be raised. This corner was somewhat higher than thos<; which had been put in further south. He was not questioning the camber of those corners, but the continuing of the formation work on the Koputaroa Road, which-, <he maintained, was a Main Highways construction work. The same trouble was noticeable in Queon Street East, on the Shannon Highway coiner; it was not so aggravated there, but it was not nice to be bumped off the road at night. With regard to the Heatherlea Comer, something would have to be done, he thought; the formation would have to be continued on the Koputaroa Road. The Engineer: You know at what pace you are supposed to travel over corners?

The chairman said that the Works Committee would be going out to deal with a matter at Poroutawhao and they could inspect the Heatherlea Corner and report on it. Cr. Gimblett moved that this be done, and the motion was carried.

■ Cr. 'Catley said he had had his attention drawn to the Heatherlea Corner and had asked his informant to make a written complaint to the Council, but the. Works Committee could deal with it just as well. The matter was referred to th* Worka 'Committee.

BOUNDARY ROADS,

' With regard to the Levin Borough boundary roads, Cr. Catley said he had mentioned at the last meeting that in some cases they were not in a good state of repair. - On the day that the Works Committee met, members took a trip round these roads. On the whole, they were being dealt with and were in good condition. LIGGINS''ESTATE.

Cr. Whyte said that the executors of the Liggins Estate, Tokomaru, complained about there not being a road running to the Main Drain, about forty chains. The object was not to cut up the sections, but to give an outlet to the rear sections, where they were putting on anothev dwelling. They wanted to know what width of road the Council would take over eventually—whether less than a 66ft. road would do. They had also expressed a wish that the work be carried out under County supervision, with a view to its being taken over at some future time. They would find the money and they wanted to know what was the least width of road that the Council would take over.

The Chairman: That is a matter that should be submitted officially by letter. If it is eventually going to be a through road, it must be a chain road. Cr. Whyte: It is not going to be a through road, but a 40-ehain road to connect with the other sections. The Chairman: We have accepted 40ft. roads before. Unless they are going to survey, I do not see that it matters much. They should build it up to the County standard, and the question whether it is twenty or thirty feet from the centre will be a matter for survey, when they propose to- liana it over. I do not -think that we can commit the Council unless the road is ready to take over. Cr. Whyte: They would like to know the quantity of metal they should put on.

The Chairman: The Engineer could tell them that. KAIHINAU ROAD.

Cr. Whyte stated that Kaihinau Road settlers had asked for the removal of some bad corners. He had told them that he thought the Council could make provision for this on next year's estim ji f" p BRIDGE TLANKING. Cr. Ryder referred to the frequency of the planking breaking on the smaller bridges on the Main Highway. Planks of a more permanent character, he said should be put in, or the whole of the planking should be of better material. One case in point was a small bridge just to the north of Dalzell's Mill. The County lorries carting metal were, to a certain extent, *to blame. Cr. Gimblctt said that another bridge requiring attention was that which was situated near Mr Broadbelt's, on the Levin-Shannon .Highway. The Chairman: We will have to tak*' up a definite programme as far as these things are concerned. I think that the whole of them have to be renewed, and I presumo that wc will renew them in concrete or put a concrete slab over them. These timber bridges will all go

Cr. Barber stated that on Tuesday, on the bridge just past Dab.ell's Mill, the ends of the planking were sticking in the air. The Engineer: We had the same trouble- at Te Horo, and we put in big pipes there. 'Cr. Barber: 1 believe that hcr,e pipes would be sufficient waterway. The Engineer promised to look into the matter.

The report was then adopted,