MAIN HIGHWAY NORTH

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 866, 9 January 1930, Page 10

MAIN HIGHWAY NORTH

CONSTRUCTIONAL WORK MORE MONEY REQUIRED Probably no part of the Dominion has suffered more heavily from loss of holiday tourist traffic as a result of the recent rains than North Auckland. To a lesser extent bad weather at Christmas, 1928, also caused the diversion of motor tourers from the northern route to other parts because of the impassable state of the highway from Auckland to Maungaturoto. A strange l'act often remarked upou by visitors to the- northern peninsula is that although the roads in the middle and the far north are mile for mile as good as those in southern rural areas the nearer one approaches to the city—at least to within 20 miles by the east coast way the rougher and more primitive the highway becomes. The reason is that settlement along the route has until recently been sparse and the local authorities of the lower north therefore were unable to undertake much road constructional work. The coming of the Main Highways Board, with the backing of an impressive constructional fund, has given the North its chance. Two years ago the board decided upon a highways programme for North Auckland, the East Coast route being selected as the shortest and most suitable connection between Auckland and Maungaturoto. Work was begun about IS months ago, and up to March 31, 1929, approximately £IOI,OOO had been spent on the distance of 90 miles. At that date, to complete it would require a further expenditure of £193,000. The work is one of great magnitude. Formation involves deep cutting, filling, widening, and bridgebuilding in country which rises many hundred feet, and falls to sea-level. The old road has been abandoned for lengths totalling miles. The present state of the highway is worse than the first. In wet weather the new formation is impassable to motorists not experienced in handling a car in the mud. But after three or four days of sunshine any ordinary driver should be competent to make the trip to Maungaturoto in five hours. He will be called upon to traverse formidable potholes and a scarified surface, but with care the route is quite negotiable. THREE YEARS’ WORK The Highways Board programme contemplates at least another three years’ work before an all-weather road is available. The 1928-29 vote for the section totalled £64,000, but the amount was overspent by £IS,OOO and construction had to be retarded and men transferred from the job to other parts of the country. Parliament voted £72,740 for the year ending 1929-30, but the figure is offset by a liability of £7,100 as well by the over-expenditure of £IB,OOO. This means that the money now available is only £47,640 —which will necessitate a further retardation of construction, and a postponement of the day when the north will be accessible in any weather.

With a view to having the job accelerated. Mr. A. J. Murdoch, M.P. for Marsden, intends to make urgent representations to the Main Highways Board at its meeting on Saturday. He has the support of interested local bodies and of the Auckland Automobile Association. Mr. Murdoch will ask for an increased expenditure to be made available immediately, so thajt work may be proceeded with while summer months remain.

As the road now stands, the highway is complete from Birkenhead "to Silyerdale, and no trouble is encountered until halfway alcaig the WaiweraWarkworth section, upon which some of the heaviest cutting has been done. A few r miles of metal take the motorist to the commencement of the Dome Valley and the Way by Gorge, which parts are laid bare in new clay. Numerous small bridges are in course of building, and metal deposits lie on the roadside pending completion of the earthworks. Much of the metal is being quarried from Motulara Island, which lies off the coast near Warkworth. Other outcrops occur at intervals on the route, but most of the metal is of secondary quality. Motutara stone is considered even superior to that from Tauraroa, a quan y 17 miles south of IVhangarei. Another deposit as yet unworked for loading purposes is located at Pukekaroro, near Kaiwaka, the stone occurring in the curious formation known as the Bald Rock. THE WEST COAST ROUTE While the main highway is under construction the majority of motorists going to Whangarei use the west coast route. In bad weather this, too is a nightmare. After leaving the metal a few miles north of Kaukapakapa, which is reached via Helensville, the tourist is obliged to traverse -5 miles of clay by way of Glorit and fauhoa to Port Albert. Part of the distance lies along the crown of a high range overlooking the Kaipara Harbour and on this stretch the claydries quickly in wind and sun, two days in summer being enough to harden the surface. But in the lowlying portions which for some miles undulate to sea-level arid a little higher chainless cars are courting trouble If the crossing is attempted within an interval of three davs after a solid downpour. A week "of sunshine generally hardens the whole road and cars shortly wear down a surface which allows fast time over the entire clay. East and west routes unite at Wellsford, the east way being 20 miles shorter to this point. Three miles faither more clay is encountered where the Public Works Department has a number of men on formation and metalling. Having made Topuni, the motorist’s troubles are finished. From then on he can reach all the larger towns of the north on metal.

A young motorist driving near Merlingen (Switzerland) encountered three women on the road. One sprang to the left, one to the right, and a third in front of the car. A local court has now- held him responsible, pointing out that “every driver knows that he can never tell in which direction women, cattle and fow-ls will jump.’’