WERAITI DEVIATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 August 1938, Page 4

WERAITI DEVIATION

WORK AGAIN PUT IN HAND. ' MODERN PLANT USED. Work on the Weraiti deviation on the Masterton-Stronvar Main Highway has been recommenced' by the Masterton County Council. The job was originally put in hand about twelve months ago with labour engaged under an arrangement with the Government. About 40. men were engaged for 4 some time, but owing to the high cost ' of the job and the. slow progress being made the council decided to cease operations last February, when there were 27 men on the job. Apart from making the road safe for traffic, little work has been done on the deviation since theh. When the work was stopped in February the men had completed, in about seven months, only about one-third of the work. With the use of modern machinery, which the council purchased for that and other works, however, it is expected, with reasonable working conditions, to complete the remaining two-thirds of the deviation in about three months. The length of the existing road between the terminal points of the- proposed deviation is about 214 chains and when the job is finished the new line will reduce the length of the road by approximately 50 chains. There will be a marked improvement in visibility and in the elimination of curves, especially from the top of Weraiti hill to Puketi. - Only four men are at present working on the job, but it is anticipated that later on that number will be about doubled. Notwithstanding the heavy cost involved until the work with manual labour was stopped, it is anticipated that, with the use of modern machinery, the whole job will be completed within the original estimate.