HAMILTON-WHATAWHATA ROAD.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1302, 2 November 1880, Page 2

HAMILTON-WHATA WH A TA ROAD.

Ox Sunday last Mr F. A. Whitaker, M.H.R., Mr S. Steele (Chairman Hamilton Highway District Board), and Mr George Edgecumbe (member of that Board), proceeded to inspect the work done on the Hamilton-Whatawhata road. It will be remembered that a grant of £600 was made by the General Government for the purpose of completing negotiations between the long neglected district of Raglan and Hamilton, by the formation of a road from the Waipa River to that township. This sum Avas placed at the disposal of the Hamilton Highway Board, the practical experience of the Chairman being a good guarantee that it would be fairly expended. It was found that an immense amount of work had been done for the money available. Three contracts had been let instead of one for the whole work, a practice which seems to be a very advisable one, as tending to give the smaller contractors a chance of competing. The first was let to Mr Maunder, of Hamilton, and extends to a distauce of about 1J miles from the originally formed road. The second contract was that known as Livingstone and Booth's. The third was under the charge of the Messrs Coleman. The whole of the contracts have been carried out in a most creditable manner, the drains being large and substantial, and every outfall having been evidently most carefully considered in the laying off of the work. The party proceeded on horseback to a spot two miles thirty-five chains distant from the Hamilton railway station, where they were compelled to leave their hordes, the drains having been too newly constructed to admit of riding over the road. It was considered, however, that two or three months of the summer sun would render the track passable for horses. The party proceeded to Whatawhata and then walked back to their horses, arriving in Hamilton in an hour and three - quarters from Whatawhata flat. The distance from the railway station to the Waipa river is, as nearly as possible, six and a half miles, and it is estimated that the expenditure of a further sum of €800 to i'!) 0() wo 'Id make the road available forwheeledtrafficduringthe present dry season.