MAIN HIGHWAYS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 April 1938, Page 3

MAIN HIGHWAYS

WORK DURING PAST YEAR. OVER £2,000,000 SPENT. The statement that the amount spent during the financial years just closed on the reconstruction and improvement of main highways exceeded £2,000,000, and that of this sum over £260,000 was for removing level railway crossings from heavily trafficked routes, was made by the Minister of Public Works and Transport, the Hon. R. Semple, in an interview yesterday. Under the special programme for this class of work, 50 crossing elimination schemes had already been completed, while work was in hand. or contracts had been arranged for a further 53. “More money was spent on the main highways of New Zealand last year than at any time since the passing of the Main Highways Act in 1922,” Mr Semple said. “Moreover, activities in connection with the improvement of settlement or backblock roads have been expanded to an enormous extent since the Government took office toward the end of 1935.” The Minister said that dusty sections of highway which created hazardous conditions for all classes of road user had been superseded by smooth pavements. Three hundred and ten miles of highways had been made safer in this way, making a total of 770 miles for the past three years. Much of this work had been in the nature of linking up uncompleted gaps on important transport routes, thereby providing longer continuous lengths of pavements. The ultimate benefits would also be reflected in roads maintenance costs. Besides giving greater service to road transport both public and private, all of these works had provided steady employment for large numbers of men.

“The effect of the Government's decision to take over the financial responsibility for State highways comprising the arterial routes has been more noticeable by reason of the fact that this was the first complete year of State control,” Mr Semple continued. “Particular attention has been given to building up the standard of maintenance so as to facilitate the regular upkeep of good surfaced trunk roads. Work done in this direction will give to road transport better services than previously when maintenance activities were subject to the variation of control by many local body units.” Preferring to settlement roads in outlying districts the Minister explained that for the season ended June 30, 1935, some 714 miles of access roads in the backblocks were metalled, the expenditure being £371,500. Similar results were obtained in the following season, but in the summer and autumn of 1936-37 the Public Works Department was in a much better position by reason of having new and modern plant to carry out the Government’s increased programme, with the result that 800 miles ‘of settlement roads were metalled during that period. “We are determined to give the backblock farmers good roads,” said Mr Semple. “Wherever it is practicable geographical handicaps should either be eliminated or modified. As a result of a thorough inquiry the Government decided to approach the problem over a period of five years, involving the expenditure of an additional £500,000. last financial year. “It is expected that at least 1000 miles of metalling will be completed during the present season, and this will be a substantial first step in the

plan, which provides for metalling 6700 miles of access roads at a cost of about £4,500,000. The accounts for the year just ended are not yet complete, but it seems likely that the amount spent on ordinary county roads other than highways will be in the vicinity of £1,128,000, which is very considerably above the average expenditure of previous years,” the Minister concluded.