MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10139, 9 November 1910, Page 6

MASTERTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

ENGINEER'S REPORT.

Opf.ki Riding—Tenders arc invited, to close to-day, for 37 chains of metalling and delivering 130 cubic yards of metal on Pairau Swamp and Opaki Loopline roads. The contract will complete the formation and metalling on above roads. Northern Approach—Contract No. 238. —264 chains of formation, etc., let on 22nd ult. The contractors made a start with the work last week.

Contract No. 237-Building two bridges.—The contractor is making prepartory operations for putting down the approach pier of the northern abutment of No. 2 bridge. For the purpose of compari-on of cost of above bridges in ferro -concrete and the present proposition to build su-per-structures of wood with concrete piers, I submit the following prices for the same width of roadway and footpath?. Mr Laing-Meason's offer to the Council (April, 1909) to construct a 210 feet bridge in ferroconcrete (23 feet spans) works out at £lB Is lOd per running foot, while the tender let for the two bridges {323 feet in length), price £3830, worksoiitat.£ll 17s Id per running foot, the difference in cost being £8 4s 9d per foot. Thus the ferro-con-crete would be 34 per cent, dearer than the wooden structures with concrete piers. The saving, therefore, of the construction of 323 feet at £6 4s 9d is £2013 18s. I estimate the life of the proposed bridge at forty years. The existing bridge on the borough boundary, made of totara, has served for 35 years. The above sum bearing interest for forty years at 5 per cent, would amount to £6039. This sum wouicl provide a more than sufficient building fund for the reconstruction of the bridges in the best building material.

Rangituraau Riding--- Kaikouta road. —The building of a rough timber bridge over the Kaikouta Creek and the el earing of a2O feet track through fallen timber for a length of twenty chains for t!;e purpose of stock traffic, was performed last month by the Council's men. Te Ore Ore-Bideford road. -The replacing of an old 2ft 6m x 2ft Gin x 40ft culvert was executed last week by day labour, at milepeg 7.

Upper Taueru Hiding—Wainui-o-mapa road. —1 have arranged for the expenditure of the grant made at last meeting for improving the dray track to Mr Harris' property. Mr Harris is lending dray and horses for carting metal on to some unsound portions of the road. Mangarai road—Contract No. 230, forming and culverting 77 chains of road. —The contractor lias been diligently at work for the past month and has made good progress. Mangarai bridge —Contract No. 231.—The contractor has not yet been on the ground. 1 have sent him a final notice to proceed with his work.

Te Whiti Riding—Manaia Gladstone road. —Application has been made on behalf of McGregor Bros , for making accessible that portion of the road used.aa a gravel pit by the Council. I estimate the cost at £l2 to £ls.

Wainuioru Hiding Rivorsrlale road: Contract IV o. 229. —r<*ilty chains of formation, culverting, etc. The contractor reports that he is making good progress with the formation, and he has further agreed to perform 15 cnains of formation beyond his contract for the balance of the grant £4O.

Weraiti-Fernyhurst road. The steep grade on the above road at the laueru bridge has been reduced to one in sixteen, and the material from the cutting has been utilised in widening the embankments on the narrow portions of the road. Wilbw nuisance.—l would recomend that settlers receive notice to cut willows encroaching on the water way of the sluggish streams within the County.