EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 May 1919, Page 2

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

'' ENGINEER'S REPORT. i The engineer reported as follows to TucsdayV meeting of the Egmont County Council:— Oeo Riding (Northern) —Not much time has been spent on the main or any of :he by-roads this month with the exception of putting a concrete pipe culvert across the Eltham toad at the far end. Oeo road has had some attention where it was remetalled. A good lot or water tabling has been done there, and through the kindness of Mr. Hughes supplying a horse and dray free of cost a good many low places were filled up. The foreman, with a gang of men and two drays has been engaged most of tlie month on the excavation and filling at the Puhehu bridge approaches, \uiere the road is being deviated and raised. Oeo Riding (Southern) .--General surface work lias been done at several places on the Main South road and most of. the by-roads. The metal on the Main South road, between the Puketapu Road and below the racecourse gates, and around tho second bend past the Oeo Hotel lias been hanked up with clay. The waler-'.-.bles have been claaned out between the Kaui nokonui branch factory and the boundary of 'the Waimate West County, and some patching done here with pit gravel. The Tltahl road work has been completed, 100 cubic yards of gravel having been carted from Mr. Thornloy's pit and laid on about 5% chains of the already formed road, No, 2 crushing plant is at present working on contracts nos. 334 and 33!) at the railway reserve or unmetalled portion 'on the Patikl Road. It wnuld be very advantageloiis to the road if the present contract was ie>:i?nded by about 90 cubic yards and finish the unmetalled portion through, or the road may 1 be of no use this winter on account of about lOve chains of puddle. The 200 yards of stone ! ai tho top end of the road will all be required ; above this point. Opua Biding—The staff in this riding have ! been engaged mostly on the work of completing contract no. 342 on the Eltham road where we have crushed U7S cubic yards of metal !>iid 142 yards of screenings, which,, with the except'on of a lttt'i- "KUntenance metal, has been laid down and .- •■■■> in. on n length of 113 chains from lop 0- -.si hear Warnei's bridge to oast of M. Mwkcj-BuleV place at ah average of about 10 yarils per chain and a cost of about 4/1% per yard for machinery, ruel, labor, etc., and a total cost of ft 6 lis 4tf,d per chain. Some repairs hare Seen done to the fences at the approach ta the Waiaua bridge. The repairs to the Upper Walletka toad, commences by the ,late Patlhalia Road Board, have been completed, the .ridges .>f the wheel tracks cut down arid n fair amount of metal from local pits spread for the full width and afterwards rolled In, and I am satisfied that it is « waste of time to use ihe roller on a thin coat of metal: of this kind on a road which has hot previously been scarified. A 12!n. pipe culvert has been put across Ihe road near Mr. Ferguson's p'»> ■' Some filling has been put on the top of a '. of pipes recently put across the Kawaora roau Work commenced by the Parihaka Road Board on the Ihala road has been completed. This has been coated lightly, with pit metal for almost Its entire length, the wheel tracks afterwards raked In, and the Austin roller sent once up and down It. Large stones have been blown out of the ditches and surface and a ditch | cleaned out on Rowlahd's flat. Work to the' value of about £lO has been done to the road, above the Wtremu road. This was promised by.the late road board and included a little ailing forming and a new concrete pipe culvert. Opunake Riding.—A few concrete pipes o£ various sizes were made whilst the plant was stopped on the Eltham road. Rahotu Riding —Early in the month the work: on Contract No. 344 was completed. The contract yielded 950 cubic yardß of crushed metal and 114 yards of screenings, wh'ch were put down 14 feet wide on 73 chains of the Main, South road between the Waltaha and Punlna streams at the rate of 13 yards per chain and a cost for labor, fuel, etc., of 2/8% per yard, and a total cost of £ll 10s 5%d per chain. Plant No. 1 Was then moved to Contract No. 343 at Pungarehu, where we crushed 778 cubic yards of metal and 84 yards of screenings, which were laid down on 50 chains of the main road at the rate of 13.9 yards per chain and a cost for labor, fuel, etc., of 2/7*4 per yard, and a total cost of £9 9s B%d per chain. On completion of the Council's contracts the Collett crusher, which was previously, broken dowu, was put In repair, and a start made on the work of crushing stone on the new by-roads commencing at the lower Parihaka road, where we have already crushed three heaps of stone yielding 376 cubic yards of crushed metal, which has been rolled in on 72 chains of the road at about 5 yards per chain, the surface being previously scarified and formed up so as to get a crown on the finished road. The work on this road was not quite completed Whon figures were returned so the costs will be g'ven next month. ; , ■ The patching on the Kina road, ordered by the Road Board, has been done. A contract for the forming and metalling of a portion of the Wltlora road has been completed. The work included the forming and metalling of about 32% chains of the road from the already metalled portion westwards, using 366 yards of pit metal In addition to which 48 yards wero used to fill up old ruts at the worst places, the total cost of the contract work being £lO7 15s 4d. Two existing concrete pipe culverts across the Harvey road bare been lowered about 2 feet. A line of seven 91n. dlam. pipes has been put in on the Newnll road' near W. Smith's place. Patching has been done on the Stent road. . I have recently examined the bridge on the Warea Road, over the Teihaparua stream, and find the bottom ends of the trusses, are rotting badly owing to the surface water always remaining about them at one end, and at the other end vegetation keeping away light and sun. I am of opinion this bridge will not have a ; long life. The new concrete bridge at Dirty- \ man's creek, up tho Newall road, haß had the I boxing cleared from it, and looks a fairly strong job and suitable for light traffic. A quantity of broken stono lies on the side of the Warea road which would be far better on the road, but as the road Is already In debt I cannot put It on. A quantity of shingle and sand for concrete pipe malting has been deliver- i ed to the yard at Rahotu. ' Bridges.—To-day sees the completion of all the concrete work, Including the wing Willi, at tho eastern approach of the Punehu bridge on j the Eltham road. All the centreing has been ' removed, and the work cleaned off. One complete set of sole plates, piles and centreing is being preserved, and will be stored near the Taungatara bridge. The rest of the timber IS ready for sale including the bid truss bridge, which might be sold as it stands, according to the wishes of the Council. The bridge Cart be very shortly thrown open for traffic, and the opening date should be fixed as early as possible. A fairly good bed of metal has been struck In the excavations on the deviafon> which I hope to make full use of. The Matanehunehune bridge at Punlho has been completed, and the temporary bridge removed, and the gang are now engaged on the work of renewing Bridge No. 20, between War; ner's ahd the Mangahumo, oh the Eltham road. This Is being done by putting in a square box culvert about 7ft. x 6ft. lnslda the eilatinj brldije, thereby saving the expense of a temporary bridge. I find, after consulting a very old resident of the district, the proposed watering will be more than capable to taking any flood water coming down the stream. A quantity of galvanized iron eyelets are on order to be inserted In the e;id posts or piers of all new bridge' parapets for the purpose of attaching fencing wire and doing away with Sn Ugly wooden post which soon rots, and I would recommend that a set of moulds be obtained for uniform reinforced concrete fencing posts; to be used for all fencing done by the Council The posts could be made in broken time In inclement weather. Plant—Repairs have be'dh dbne ; to the Aus' tin crusher and Aveling and Porter engine (Plant No. 2). It Is almost, an impossibility to get this crusher to produce fine metal. Eight new shoes are required for the wheels of engine. The Collett crushes'ls'again out:-of commission through the bushes on the eccentric turning-over and preventing the oil getthiij to the bearing with consequent heating.' The concrete mixer is being brought intij tbS local garage to have the magneto .fixed that has T)ee» on hand some time,, and we are still awaiting the arrival of a casting 'from Canada for "the feeder td the mixer. • ■ "■; ••'•'■•' ■,

A set 'or.Oin, diameter: pipe "mduldiiJwe.reT quired for the- yard, at...Rojiotu..,, , .. Geheral.—l'have.'examined the portion's of the Wiremu roadcom'plafhed 'Of by Mr. Bartle, and flnd.tte. is: Justified in,Ma':complaint, The work should be (done.'and,l would recommend that the! a.el'tlers be a'sked Jo do It and be bald for it. I will'meet-them" and 1, get It 'out'or let it to them at; ji 'price if-lt la the Council's Wish. .. ,- .., ." . ~ . . . . : The resident engineer has 'riot' beijh iibie' to Inspect the Wlre'md' road between'thVtfgarlkl and Arawhata ronds v but ha ft prepared to. re<commend a £1 for £1 subsidy oft my estimate. I have made three attempts to see the place myself but each time have been stopped lay the weather. .r. Mr. R. D. Tosswlll, the EUham, County engineer, who was called in to review my estimate for the cost of laying down' the whole of the main roads permanently In tar, has visited the district, and we spent two full days together on the subject. Roughly speaking, liie average of my original rough estimates for the two classes of work amounted to £05,600, whilst Mr. Tosswtll's is £70,000, but a."ier consulting with him I have amended my figures without allowing aynthing for contingencies to £65 480, whilst Mr. Tosswlll's figures, without allowance for contingencies are £66.340, so that allowing some margin for unforseeii contingencies It appears that £70,000 will be required to see the work through. I think I can do It cheaper.