HALF-MILLION FOR ROADS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 458, 13 September 1928, Page 13

HALF-MILLION FOR ROADS

Helensvilie to Rotorua

Five-Year Programme Decided On

JHE most welcome news that has ever come to' road users in 1 the Auckland Province has now been released hv th© Main Highways Board through the Auckland Automobile Association.

In addition to ordinary maintenance anil special construction jobs, such as the Auckland-Warkworth Road it is proposed to spend well over £500,000 on the roads bet’ween Rotorua and Helensvilie- during the next five years.

The proposals Include the expenditure of £400,000 on the Great South Koad from Auckland to Rotorua, and between £115,000 and £120,000 on the northern roads. The expenditure of this huge amount will be a direct result of the imposition ot the petrol tax, a nd in addition to it there will be the usual subsidies to local bodies from the other funds of the Highways Board provided by tyre tax and annual licences. The decision made by the board was that a-Quarter of the funds derived from the petrol-tax should be devoted to increasing the board’s subsidies on higher class road pavements. This quarter is expected to amount to £IBO,OOO a year, and is to be supplemented by a further contribution of" £90,000 by the board from • its general funds, and another £90,000 from local bodies. The total is therefore £360,000 annually, and it will be seen that the local bodies, in so many words, are offered a £3 for £1 subsidy to put down' more or less permanent surfaces. THE ALLOCATION The board then decided to set itself a five-year programme. It lumped its income on these figures, and on a population basis decided that Auckland was entitled to £459,000 in the five years and Hamilton to £42,000. The whole scheme is provisional on the local bodies finding their share. As the board has decided on a programme involving between £515,000 and £520,000 for the Auckland district for the five years, it will be realised that the district must get a little more than Us estimated share. The proposed programme has been the subject of confidential consideration between the board, local bodies and the Auckland ' Automobile Association for some weeks, and the organisations have reached a mutual agreement on the work to be undertaken. It is proposed to spend the £400,000 allocated to the south of Auckland on the following sections: Royal Oak to Mount Albert; Great South Road, including Bombay deviation; Hamilton to Rotorua. Hamilton to Raglan, and Panmure to Howick. The programme includes 10J miles of concrete and nearly 60 miles of bituminous macadam. The approximate figures for the sections to be dealt with north of Auckland, the.rate of subsidy being shown, in each case. In parentheses, are as follow: Birkenhead to Albany completion, £IB,OOO (£3 for .£1); Auckland to Kumeu, £54,000 (£3 for £1); Northcote local roads, £13,000 (£1 for £1); North cote road in Waitemata. County, £2.500 (£ 3 for £ 1); Onewa Road. Xorthcote, £3,750 <£ 1 for £1); Titirangi, £24,000 (£2 for £1). In addition to this maintenance on the balance of the Melenaville Road, and on other roads such as the West Coast Road through Glen Eden, metalling on the coast road from Silverdale northwards, and reconstructlor; on the Waiwera Hill and Turntable Hill (Just south of Warkworth) will be subsidised out of the general funds of the hoard. Work has been proceeding on the road north of Waiwera for some months.

In the proposals as originally submitted to the A.A.A., the board suggested that a sum of money should be allocated to the West Goast Road through Glen Eden, but the A.A.A. telt that the better plan would be to spend the money on the AucklandHelensville road through Kumeu. and suggested that all the money available should be allotted to this road, the West Coast Road to have the first call on the next allotment. However, the board had then proposed a six-year programme, and it lias since reduced this to one of five years, as a result of which both the Glen Eden road and the final portion of the Helensvilie road were cut out

from the major scheme of reconstruction. and will receive maintenance only present programme is comor more funds become available.

A.A.A. TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS The board has now requested the A. A. A. to suggest which portions of the Auckland-Hamilton road should receive the first attention, and it is the intention of the council, stated the secretary, Mr. G-. Hutchison, this mornmg, to travel over the road early next week, after which it will express its views to the Main Highways Board. It is believed that the whole comprehensive and extensive scheme for the Auckland district was designed and suggested by Mr. H. M. Campbell, engineer in charge of the Public Works Department in Auckland. EASIER GRADES DEVIATIONS ON GREAT SOUTH ROAD AVOIDING THE “RAZORBACK” An important deviation on the main highway between Bombay and Pokeno is being put through by the Public Works Department. TT will mean that the troublesome Bombay hills and the notorious Razorback will no longer worry motorists. Earthworks on the deviation have now been completed and metalling will be begun. The new grades will present no difficulty, compared with the heavy going on the present route. Beyond Pokeno, on the road to ‘Mercer, another deviation a mile long Will cut out the present difficult stretch. Work in this part is as advanced as the Bombay deviation.

Both works are being pushed forward by Public Works Department gangs, but squally weather is still a hindrance.