CONCRETE ROADS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 December 1920, Page 10 (Supplement)

CONCRETE ROADS.

COST OF CONSTRUCTION. CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE. One of the worst main roads in the Dominion runs from Hamilton to Auckland and on from the Northern City to Helensvillc, and the agitation of promoters of the good roads movement in the North secured some months aj;o the appointment of a commission to consider questions of route and construction for a road .capable of carrying the traffic of a growing district. One of the points considered was the advisability of a concrete construction. The commission, Which consisted of Messrs. W. S. Short, A. ,1. Hunter. A. D. Bell, and C. Motion, has presented its report:. In it the question of concrete construction is discussed, and a minimum width for main roads of 18ft is laid down, to be increased at all sharp bends and intersections, to admit of ample space for safe turning and passing of motor vehicles. Banking is suggested at bends, and a flattening of gradient if the road ia on the hill. While the concrete road would be very costly to construct, there would bo a great savhg of maintenance and in tractive ease over an ordinary macadam road, in the ration of something like 1 to 2* of power required. SIGNIFICANT FIGURES. The commission" worked out the capital cost of construction,, the 1 annual cost of maintenance, and the annual charge for interest, sinking fund, and maintenance for various types of rood, The charges are all per mile for an 18ft. road, and the rate of interest allowed for loan money is fl per cent. The es-' timates are as follows: An--Capital Main- nual cost tenance cost £ £ ;£ 2f e w water - bound macadam 2700 ISO 3flo Se vr water - bound macadam |ta,r-sealed 3400 DO 345 01 d Water - bound macadam, resurfae- • ed, widened to 18ft and tar-sealed .- 2100 90 245 Concrete road ..., 0(100 45 540 The commissioners are of opinion that the class of road construction most likely to meet the requirements of future heavy motor and other traffic will lie concrete, but, owing to the high cost, they do not think that the present construction of the Helensville-Hamilton road in concrete would be justifiedA concrete arterial road should be the roal aimed at, but in the meantime speedy relief at comparatively low cost can be given by the construction of a tar-sealed road, with concrete near the thickly-populated centres or where the traffic is heavy. VICTORIAN SYSTEM APPROVED. The annual cost of a concrete road from Hamilton to Helensvillc was estimated by the commission at £45,000, and it was not considered that a tire tax, which, at 10 per cent, ad valorem, would only bring in about £86,000 a year, would bej adequate to provide sucli roads throughout the Dominion. The commission recommended the adoption of the Victorian system of road control, to consist of a board of control, with two nominees of the Government and two representatives of the local bodies. This board should be authorised to appoint a thoroughly competent engineer and other necessary officers, and to fix the limits of the district that would benefit by the road. The commission recommended that the principles of the Victorian Country Road Boards Act should be adopted, under which the Government should raise money for main roads and advance the cost of their construction in the first instance, a portion of which should be repaid by the local bodies during a term of years to be fixed by law. It was suggested the Government should raise money for main roads and advance the cost of their construction in the fijrst instance, a portion of which should be repaid by the local bodies during a term of years to be fixed bjf law. It was suggested the Government should raise sufficient money and create a general main roads construction and maintenance fund on motor tires and other vehicles and otherwise, as it thinks fit, and out of this fund place such a proportion yearly as may be necessary at the disposal of the board. The commission did not think one Main Roads Board for the wholo Dominion was workable, but suggested rather a board for each provincial district. If the Government did not intend to subsidise the cost of constfucting and maintaining main roads, the commission did not deem it possible for the local bodies to improve the general condition of the Hamilton-Helens-ville road to any extent at their own cost and to maintain it in a manner satisfactory for modem traffic.