MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9565, 11 August 1909, Page 7

MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

ENGINEER'S REPORT. I The following report was submitted I to tne monthly meeting of the Masterton County Council yesterday afternoon by the Engineer, Mr D. McLachlan: — Opaki Riding. Upper Plain Rorrl.—The removal of the fences, for the widening of above road, is being proceeded with and some of the moat objectionable depressions have been filled in principally with the material cut from the road edges by the grader. The necessary authority for the extension of the widening to the Western boundary of Mr R. Dagg's property, has been obtained. I have instructed the contractors to proceed with the

work. Masterton-Waimata Road.—Contract No. 197: Metalling repairs between the Taueru and Divers' Corner has been duly completed. Ruamahanga Bridge.—l inspected the above structure following the last meeting of the Council, ana . and found s.me repairs were urgently \ needed, one of the main upstreams piles being almost eaten away by dry rot; the stringers on the abutment span, on the western end of the ridge, had become somewhat decayed and showed signs of yelding to the stress of traffic, I deemed the work sufficiently important to proceed with the repairs at once. I have put in a false pier on the abutment end, which has taken a bearing on the sounder parts of the stringer and the defective pile in the waterway has been strengthened. Matahiwi Road. — A rough stringer span bridge, on this road near Mr begum's property, has been rendered unsafe for beavv traffic by the recent floods. The bridge is, however, of considerable age requires replacing. I have recommended a sum on the estimates for its reconstruction. The old structure has been made safe for light traffic. The grader has been used duriing the last fortnight, with good effect on the roads within the riding. Upper Opaki Road.—Mr R. Buick complains that the recently metalled length in time of heavy rain, impounds the water on his property. A culvert acrosss the road would relieve the water materially. I would suggest to the Council the advisability of spending the allocation for metalling and repairs on the above road and also the metalling on the Opaki hop line, taking the metal on an improved grade on tne Mukunui cutting. This would be an economical way of improviing the grade which would be reduced to one in fifteen, the ruling grade being now one in ten.

Te Whiti Riding.'TlSjggg Waingawa protective works.—The series of recent floods have undermined and lowered some of the groynes on the southern bank of the river It has been necessary to make good the defects an prevent the water from getting behind them. Mr Robieson reports a small platform bridge, near the end of his road, in a state of collapse, and will allow the Council to get the necessary rough timber for its reconstruction. Masterton-Gladstone Road.—Repp.irß to liib "wfviker portions of the road would be advisablu • betore the dry weatheiusets in.

The approach or, the western side of the Taueru bridge is becoming narrow and requires making up. Ramjitumau Riding. Kaka-amu Road.—l have let the cleaning of . the watdr-tabiss to settlers in the locality. Opaki-Rangiturnau Road.—ln accordance with a resolution of the Council, 1 accompanied Cr Colqnhouu to inspect the proposed protective works at the Ruamahanga and met Messrs McLachlan and Blatchford on the ground. It wa? proposed to throw out a substantial groyne from the northern bank some ten chains above the roadway and divert the water to a central course. The Council were asked to contribute the wre and the settlers mentioned to construct the groyne. The value of work complete is approximately £6O; the value; of wire required £25; the contribution of wire is recommended.

The cleaning of side drains on the frontage of Mr D. McLachlan'a property was also agreed to be done on the basis of the Council paying two-thirds of the cost, conditional upon the outlats, which are a considerable length, being cleared free of cost to the Council. Te Ore Ore-Bideford Road.—A heap of 242 cubic yards of stone has been broken by the stone crusher at the gravel pit, and I purpose utilising the sale for repairs on the weaker portions of the Wangaehu road. Contract No. 198.—Metal repairs on a six-mile length of above road have been duly completed.'

Wainuioru Riding. Homewood-Kaiwhata Road. —Contract No. 191—51 chains of formation, etc. The work has been satisfactorily carried out by the contractors. The slips along the previously formed lengths of the same line have heen cleared.

Blairlogie-East Coast Road.—As a result of last week's heavy rain there are several slips along this length, but not of sufficient weight to stop traffic for any time. Lett's Road.—The bulk of the allocation has been spent in forming 23 chains of road and re-dressing about 30 chains of formation along sidling ground. Alfredton Riding.

Alfredton-Weber Road.—A good deal of damage has been done on the northern end of this road, principally between Waterfalls and ,the Akitio boundary. Following the heavy rain much of the steep ground slipped and blocked the road for wheel traffic. A length of three chains, recently metalled at the Blue Slip, has broken away on the lower side considerably narrowing the metal layer. Some slips have occurred on the Waihoke, Hutewai, Saunders and Pori roads, but these are being cleared sufficently to allow of light traffic to pass along the main lengths.