MAIN HIGHWAYS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 June 1938, Page 9

MAIN HIGHWAYS

MEETING OF NO. 10 DISTRICT COUNCIL PROPOSALS FOR CURRENT YEAR. BRIDGE AT WHAKATAKI. The annual meeting of the No. 10 District Highways Council was held in Masterton yesterday. Mr H. Watkinson, Main Highways Board representative, presided and others present were Messrs Q. Donald (Featherston County), W. Renall (Wairarapa South County), J. B. Carruthers (Eketahuna County), C. H. Hunter (Akitio County), A. W. Bissett (Pahiatua County), E. W. Cheetham (Mauriceville County), W. I. Armstrong (Masterton County) and W. G. Groves (Castlepoint County). Mr Watkinson was re-elected chairman for the ensuing year. Work completed during the past year was as follows, the figures for 1936-37 being shown in parentheses:— New formation, 49chs (63chs); widening and preparation work, 16 miles 18 chs (31m 7chs); gravelling and metalling (new), 30chs (50chs); sealing or surface treatment (new), 17m 3chs (25 m lOchs); maintenance sealing completed, 5m 36chs (3m 56chs); bridges (lineal feet), 565 ft (422 ft engineering surveys completed, 12m 51chs ,(18m 40chs).

The maintenance sealing completed includes the complete reconstruction and re-sealing of the State Highway sections in Carterton and Pahiatua boroughs. The bridging includes the completion of the Opaki overbridge. The new sealing was carried out on the following highways:—

Woodville - Masterton (Eketahuna County), 4m lOchs; Masterton-Weber (Masterton County), Im 70chs; Martinborough - Masterton (Wairarapa South County), 2m 38chs; Martinbor-ough-Masterton (Masterton County), 1 m 28chs; Carterton-Longbush (Wairarapa South County), 2m 27chs; Mar-tinborough-Awhea (Featherston County), 2m; Martinborough-Lake Ferry (Featherston County), 40chs; Kahautara (Featherston County), 2m 30chs; district totals, 17m 03chs. An additional main highway declared during the year was the Mar-tinborough-Lake Ferry extension (Featherston County), of 20 chains. The No. 10 District mileage as at March 31, 1938, was as follows: —Ordinary Main Highways, 429 miles 29 chains; State Highways, 75 miles 10 chains; district total, 504 miles 39 chains. Sealed or paved surfaces totalled 144 miles 45 chains, and the gravel or macadam surfaces 359 miles 74 chains, making a district total of 504 miles 39 chains.

The permanent bituminous surfacing represents 28 per cent of the total main highway mileage in No. 10 District.

The following applications for additional Main Highways were received from district local authorities and will be forwarded on to the Main Highways Board for consideration: — Wairarapa South County, CartertonMatarawa bridge, 4m 72chs; Castlepoint County, Alfredton-Tinui, 10m 64 chs; Akitio County, Akitio-Waione, 19 m; Featherston County, No. 71 Highway extension to Tuturumuri 13m, South Featherston Road 2m 20chs; Mauriceville County, No. 443 Highway extension southwards, 2m 40chs (the county proposed to revoke in exchange the northern portion of this highway, Im 48chs, from Mangamahoe station to Bowen Road junction), South Road 2m 20chs; Masterton County, Opaki-Eketahuna via Mauriceville 7 m, Solway-Manaia 3m 4chs; Eketahuna County, Hamua-Hukanui 3m 76chs, Alfredton-Tinui 13m, Kaiparoro-Nire-aha 4m 60chs; Pahiatua County, Pa-hiatua-Palmerston (part) 3m 45chs, Mangatainoka-Ngaturi 9m 56chs, Pa-hiatua-Palmerston (balance of) 5m 48 chs, Valley Road 5m 32chs; Carterton Borough, Dalefield Road 42chs; Pahiatua Borough, Hall Street 48chs.

The board recently advised the council that owing to heavy commitments for major improvements and maintenance, there was little chance this year of any additional roads being declared highways. Included in the major works contemplated this year by local authorities are the redecking of the double bridge at Woodville to allow for two-way traffic, the bridging of the Whakataki stream, a deviation to eliminate a bad bend in the Featherston Borough, the resealing of the southern end of the main Greytown road, the widening of the bridges on the Rimutaka Hill, as well as various road improvements, sealing and bridge construction. As soon as it is known whether money is available for construction, the Main Highways Board expects local bodies to forward their plans and proposals as early as possible in order that the jobs might be put in hand during the current financial year The board finds a subsidy for ordinary maintenance on ordinary main highways on the basis of £3 for £l, while it also finds a similar subsidy on all construction works. In the past the subsidy for bridges was £2 for £l, but from April 1 last the board increased the amount to £3 for £l. On State Highways the board finds the total costs except in one or two isolated cases.