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Proposed Deviation of South Road.

REPORT BY THE ENGINEER. ['AN ADVANTAGE TO SETTLERS. | Reporting to the Taranaki County !Council on Monda;, the engineer (Mr J. skinner) state! with reference, to Tapuae bridge that he hail made a survey of the proposed deviation of this river in South Road. The present bridge was old and in a bad condition. The proposed tunnel I would be placed about four chains to " the east of the bridge, and would be 200 feet in length, with an outlet channel of 200 ft. The engineer proposed that the tunnel be 15ft by 12 It, and the outlet channel 15ft wide. The filling of the liver at the present bridge to a width of 20ft on top would take about 6000 yds ot earth. Tl.e engineer's estimate of the cost was £450 to £SOO. To reduce the hill on the east side to a grade of one in fifteen would require a further cutting from nothing to 35ft, extending for 26 chains. In addition to this would be the widening of the present cutting, re-metalling .26 chains of road, and pitching about 15 ■ chains of water tables. The cost ! would be excessive, -ami the grade one in fifteen, and be still a heavy . ono. The probable cost would be ! £9OO.

"Might I suggest to your Council," the engineer continued, "the advisableness of considering whether it would not be to the advantage of the county that the Soutli Road should be deviated, and an altogether new road formed from Allen's Hill to Oakura, and the remainder deviated in parts as far as Okato.

"I have gone into this matter very carefully and have consulted the Go. verninent road engineer and chief draughtsman, who are both strongly in favour of the deviation proposed) I would recommend that the first deviation should be from .Allen's Hil|. to Victoria Road, crossing Plymouth, Croydon and Koru Roads, at from one to one and a half miles from South Road, to be continued eventually across the Oakura and joining the South Road near Oakura dairy factory. "This deviation would do away with the excessive grades on Allen's, Honeysuckle, Tapuae,' Oakura, and Watson's Hills—glades that arc too costly to reduce except by deviations. It would Have the effect ot reducing the distance from the factdry to New Plymouth by about one mile, and reduce the cost of upkeep of at least five miles of the above-named roads and the Wairau Road, collec- 1 Ifvcly. Another advantage would bo that tho Tapuae bridge might be made to act as a bridge for Plymouth Road, as the site of the pre? sent bridge is a very bad one. Local interests would be little interfered with, with the exception of theOakura township.

"I might add that the proposed deviation from Oakura to Okato will start at the east end of Timaru Hill, and by keeping inland avoid the Timaru, Cutfield's, Katckara and Bcttr' Hills."

The Chairman (Mr H. Okcy) pointed out that tho work could not to done witA bridge loan moneys. (The question, o! compensation to those who had built on the main road might also crop up. He thought that to do the work a special district loan would be necessary. As to the settlers on the lower side, it was very doubtful whether they would see the matter in the same light as Mr Skinner- had placed- it before the Council. He thought the schemo a good one and one -that would be very beneficial to inland settlers. The question of the upkeep of the two roads had also to be considered, but that" might be overcome by the , present road being made a district road. It was a big question, but he thought it should be Jointly considered by the, Council and the Road Boards interested. It seemed to him that the matter would have An—if?.iH.'-ov-e?-a whHer-ahd- thai in the meantime the Council wsuld have to make an expenditure on Tapuae Hill. '. ■.'.: '

Cr. Andrews said it would be foolish to spend £I2OO if there was a 'possibility of the scheme being taken

The engineer estimated the cost for four miles, iuciudiag bridge work-, at £4OOO. It was impossible to make the present road one in eighteen. The now road would costless than lowering the other. He thought it wrong to spend large sums -of money on the present road. Other members considered the scheme a good one worthy of every consideration. It was thought there was every possibility of getting a£ (or £ subsidy from the Government, as the road would benefit the settlers,

The engineer remarked that the new. route would avoid four hills. One horse on such a road would do as much as three on the present, which was absolutely cruel. Alter further discussion ,the Chairman and Cr. Gray were appointed,to go over the route with tire engineer and prepare a report, also to convene a public meeting at Oakura to discuss the question.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19050704.2.16

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7863, 4 July 1905, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
824

Proposed Deviation of South Road. Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7863, 4 July 1905, Page 2

Proposed Deviation of South Road. Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7863, 4 July 1905, Page 2

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