ROADS NORTH AND SOUTH FROM TAUPO

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 53, 21 January 1953, Page 5

ROADS NORTH AND SOUTH FROM TAUPO

Main Highways Board Programme From a statement in the claily Press by the Chairman of the Main Highway s Board (Mr Trevor Srnith), outlining plans far the completion of the sealing of the through routes between Auckland and Wellington, we. take the following points of interest to Taupo : Mileages of the three principal routes between Auckland and Wellington: Via Rotorua, 443 miles; via New Plymouth, 464 miles; via Putaruru 418 miles. As the shortest route, the Auck-land-Pu tararu -Wellington highway will eventually be developed as the main motor road. The RotoruaTaupo route will be finished first as thetre is less work to be done on that road. Work is proceeding on the completion of the tar-sealing of the Roto-rua-Taupo road. There are at present only iive miles of unsealed road between Rotorua and Taupo and work is in hand over this section. Between Taupo and Tokaanu a two-mile section remains to be sealed, but this will probably be left until early next summer. Work is also in hand -on six of the nine miles which remain to be sealed over the Deseift Road south of Taupo. The ultimate development of the route through Putaruru is held up until a final decision is made on the development of the geothermal steam workings near Wairakei, A deviation between Wairakei and Oruanui is planned to straighten the road over this section, but no final drawings can be made until . the geothermal sites are finally located.. The 21 miles of troad between Wairakei and Atiamuri are definitely sub-standard, but a major reconstruction will be undertaken as soon as possible. This will involve considerable work in realigning, widening and sealing this section.