South Road Levels.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7917, 5 September 1905, Page 2

South Road Levels.

Scheme Adopted by County Council. Cost Estimated at £3600. The engineer (Mr J. Skinner) reported to the Taranaki County Coun cil on Monday that during the month he had graded the Tapuau and Oakura hills, graded and levelled a deviation of Oakura, and graded a deviation for Tapuae hill but had not taken the levels. He had also had o trial drive put in the hill for Tapuae tunnel. The drive was through hard conglomerate in which large stones were embedded. The whole formation

»as good for tunnel work and ought to stand well without concrete. There was a considerable amount oi stone, which would add to the cost of driving, as explosives should not he used for fear of shaking the foro mation. The size of the tunnel had been adopted from the Mangatuku culvert. The drainage area of Tapuae was three times that of Mangaotuku and the tunnel was three times the size. The Oakura a verj steep grade, through the high hili the cutting being fully 50 feet. To cut this down to one in 15 from the present grade of one in 9 would require cuttings up to 20 feet and necessitate the moving of over 7,500 yards of earth. The filling at the bridge would be 30 feet, and the bridge would require lifting 15 feet, making the bridge piers 30 feet from the water. The fillings would be exceptionally heavy being from 12 to 25 feet, length oi formation 24 and 20 chains. The deviation was for the east side

only and would consist of side" cutting and through cutting, the hcavist cutting being against the bridgo. The grades were one in 26.4 for 10 | chains, and one in 22 for 24 chains and having five angles in it. It ran (or the most part up a stream and had high land to the north which to a certain extent would shade the road. Tho grade to the west of Oakura river would be reduced to one in 15. This at some future time could be reduced to ono in 20 by further cutting and filling, or by deviation. The cost of the deviation .should not exceed £SOO as against £283 for the present road. The roads could be kept open for traffic by doing half the cutting at a time, leav-

uig the other half for traffic. The deviation would pass through a num.er of town sections having different owners, who for the most part were absentees. The engineer proposed to -if t. the bridge and place it on three piers of concrete, the land piers havng wing walls, the height to be 29 i feet from the water. The bridge for the deviation would be 24 feet above the water.

He had had the greatest difficulty with regard to the Tapuae hills and had graded several different routes. The plan showed a cutting on the

east side and a deviation on the west, reducing both hills to grades f 1 in 15. The cuttings were not leavy, but very long, and the east hill grade would extend for 34 chains, it was in the river filling that the mass of earth was required. He estimated that over 30,000 yards were required, the height being 'SO feet,

und the fillings at bottom would extend to 180 feet. This filling would he clear of the bridge and would not

interfere with trafllc. The timber in the bridge which was very sound for .he most part could be used in other bjridges. The length \o! the one grade was the great drawback, to this pro-i posal, being one continuous and hea- >■}■ pull for 31 chains. The •devia-

lion pegged out, but not levelled would have grades not greater than one in 20, but would rcquiro a hcavj idling or long bridge, earth not being within easy distance near the

nroposed crossing, which was at the old military ford, is'o doubt a much jotter road could be taken this way put tho Sost would.include compensation, survey, fencing and the extra cost of metalling a new road, making it costly. Mr Skinner in conclusion reminded he Council that a grade of one in 15 was the maximum grade allowed oy the Uiivernment Lands and Roads

Departments anil was only used on ny-rouds or over exceptionally rough joimtry. Jt was for the Council to •lecide whether they would not have the better grades even at greater just. 'I he Chairman said the scheme was an ela'huratt! one, and was going to cost more than had been anticipated. The estimated cost was between £2750 and £3OOO, and the grade would then be 1 in 15. Cr. Gray strongly ' supported tho work in tho interests of the settlers and others who had occasion to use

the road. :The terrible gradients were a bar to the progress of tho district. H'e thought with a bridge loan account the Council should undertake the work in the ohoapcat way by keeping to the present road without deviations.

The Chairman agreed that the Council could do the work with assistance from the Government. The Council was in a better position by some £2OOO than it had been last year. He moved that application be made to the Government for provisional consent for £I2OO for Tapuae bridgo and £BOO for the Oakura bridge and deviation, the balance to come out of the Council's revenue. When the work was carried out the Tapuae bridge would bo done away with altogether. The same bridgo would be used at Oakura, but it would be shifted up stream Cr. Gray reiterated that!? the Council would be safer in cutting down the present road than making any deviation.

The Chairman said the engineei had also come to this way of thinking, but tho best results would be achieved by an alternative scheme for the Oakura work. The motion was seconded by Cr. Gray and carried. At a later stage Mr Skinner attended at the request of the Council, and the matter of calling | tenders was gone into.

It was decided to call tenders for the Tapuae scheme as outlined bv ihe engineer, and defer the other work until the position is laid boforo the Government; with the view of getting a £ for £ subsidy, Jt was agreed to explain (p. the Government that. t,o. cttt dowu tho present mil wpuld gun loavo a grfl(io 0 , 1 in 15, whereas at a cost of about £6OO more a ilno grade of 1 in 24 could be obtained; As the mistake was made by. the authorities in the first place, it was considered only right that the. UovenimenV should assist the Council in the work for the interests of the settlers who have to rely solely) on road communication with New Plymouth,

Tenders will b„ called for the Tapuae work at once, and for the other work probably as soon as the Uovernment's reply cumes before the Council.

Tho members for the district and local bodies will be invited to support the Council's application.