Wairarapa North County Council

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3129, 14 February 1889, Page 2

Wairarapa North County Council

Engineer's Report.

1 have'the honor to submit to you \ ray report for last mouth on the '-■- public works in progress within the . - County.as Mows:— . . . ; :: VMasterton Riding.;—Masterton to■ f; Waimata Koad,—Contract No, 22,- ";; (river works at Te Ore Ore) was \ completed on tho 26th of last month', > and the course of the greater portion of themainbodyofwaterwas directed in the middle channels of the river beil and will play against the centre of the largo shingle shoal formed:-oil the north side of the bridge. .The repairs j to'the bridge and river bank rendered necessary by last winters-floods are j now in progress of execution, and will, I hope, be sufficiently completed in. a, day or two to admit of traffic being resumed on the bridge. ■Contract Ho, 84, (formation and : metalling). Piogress with this work still continues slow. The heavy embankment atthoTaueru cud has been commenced, and judging from tu\ favorable natuie of the cutting- • from, which the materials are ' being taken for, its copslracfa,

no .great difficulty should /.be .experienced in pushing it rapidly forward. I have given tbe.contractor notioMo carry on other .sections of the. 'Rtract simultaneously' with operations, so that with ordinary diligence the contract may be completed by the end of March, contract No. 85, (formation and

■ ! metalling), was, with the exception .of some minor details, completed on ,'.' the 151kJanuary. These minor .'. defects TO-contractors have undertaken to rectify during their two months term of maintenance, which will expire on the 15th of next '■.-' month. To Ore Ore to Bidoford Road.— Contract No. 17, (road metalling). Fair progress has boon mado with this contract, and the close of the present month will probably narrow the work down to its last section. ■ The metalling of' the Wangaehu '. section together with tho repairs to the formerly metalled road at To Ore Ore(required by conditions of contract) havaditeeii fulfilled, although eonsideraH> work still remains incompleted, both in respect of stone breaking, dressing up the metal and side widths of formation. Contract No 18. -Indifferent headway has .been made with this during " ; :. ' last month, and I have been obliged ;-. to instruct the contractor to increase

the number of his teams, or pay the cost of spreading after the expiration ■■ of his contract to us for complotiug

the work'. \ Castlepoint Riding.—Masterton to ' Waimata Road-Contract No. 30 (road metalling). With reference to the rumoured failure of the quarries on this contract of which I made mention in my last report; upon visiting the ground I found that the one towards O'Connor's at the Mungapakeha end had completely

given put, so that it would be neces- ■ sary JBrefore to make arrangements : elsewhere lor tlio completion of tlio contract. After conferring with the members for the riding with reference to the proposals I had to offer, i agreed with the carter to complete the work from the deep creek qilußes, a distance of approximately ljiiiiles further off, for 2s per yard extra, This section of the work will be completed in the course of a few days, At the Tinui end fair headway -is being made, and at present rate of progress it is anticipated the contact will be completed about the middle of March. The quarry here, though more contrac'ed than formerly, is still yielding good stone, and I hope that a sufficiency of good material may yet be obtained to complete tlio work. The contractor has applied for an extension of timo in consideration of the addition made to his contract since the acceptance of his tender, I am disposed to favorably recommend for the Council's consideration that the term for its completion be extended to the 15th iSpals have been delivered upon the Tinui to Castlepoint section of the road for constructing a new bridge and two largo culverts to replace old works no longer fit for heavy traffic. The construction of these will be proceeded with as soon as the permanent man can be spared from the work upon which he is at present engaged. tietalnma to Tinui Eoad,— tahuna io Tiraumea section.) Contract No. 18, (road metelling) was resumed about the 17th of last mouth, and when last inspected on the 25th ult,, was making satisfactory progress. ContractNo, 19, (road repairs), is in an advanced state toward completion, In accordance with the Council's resolution, I have arranged . with . the contractors for an extension of the works on both ends, as well as lor the execution of wlgftfttal repairs I propose to perform. The line was opened for ordinary wheel traffic 'for the first time this season, about the 21st of last month. This lateness is attributable to the effect of last autumn and winter's traffic by the bullock team, which continued to travel the line until the drays could no longer be pulled through the mud. It would be a matter worthy the serious consideration of the settlers of the Alfredton district, whether or not this description of traffio could be advantageously restricted to the summer months, say from the bsgiuning of November to the end of - March. This- would provide ample time to execute 1 the heavy carriage of the district, such as wool, stores, '«(, and at the same timo leave the • roan in a fit stato for traffic to carry a light description of what traffio throughout the • winter without injujJK its silrface in the way in whicafcis at present broken up by ' an indiscriminate traffic carried on at all seasons of the year, There •can be no doubt that it is this abuse of the road during the winter which prevents the possibility of getting it into working order again until the summer is well {.dvanced, and which gives rise to the frequont complaints about the conditiou of the road during the winter, spring, and early summer months, Plans and specification have been prepared and tenders invited for 17-00 chains of road work upon the Tiraumea portion of the line, • These will be submitted to the Council'to be dealt with nt its present sitting.' Opaki to Mauawatu Eoad.—ln my last months' report I drew the attention of the Council to the advisability of proceeding with the necessary repairs to this road before the season becomes further advanced, ' and the question was then deferred for future consideration.. I would (now, respectfully request that tlio may deal with it at its pro. Tent'sitting, as otherwise the costs of the work will bo materially increased and the facilities for their performance materially interfered with. f* Contract 1025 (surveying and pegging, site-widths of road through Eketabuna township.) This work is still in the-bauds of the surveyor, but ' may be expected to be completed at an early date.—l have tlie honor to be, sir, Your obedient Servant, C. E. BIIEMNEK,