WAIKATO COUNTY COUNCIL

Waikato Times, Volume xxx, Issue 2427, 31 January 1888, Page 3

WAIKATO COUNTY COUNCIL

TIIE following is the Engineer's report presented at the meeting of the above Council on Friday last, and which was crowded out of Saturday's issue : — January 27th, 1888. To the Chairman : Sir,—l have to report that since November hist the various eontracts let in the Ransiriri Outlying District have been completed except contract, No. l(i which is now under way. The road at Meremere from the main road to Gregory's bridge has been formed, cuttings made, and a Mod approach to the bridge fascined ami The bridge has also repair! . and put straight ftt n cost of 12s. The ...st „f the road was £12 being the amount voted. Settlers can now get in and out with a dray except when the river is in high flood when I am alrai 1 the lowest portion of the roadwav will ngain be under water —Contract, No. .10 Wairangi Bchoolhou.'.e, lias been iaithtully curried out at a cost of £10 15s -I'd the culvert being well-put together of excellent timber, and the road will now be good in winter. This work exceeded the vote by los Id. —Contract, No. 11 Jeffries cutting, has been fairly well done at a cost of £7 10s Id, being £2 lis lid below the vote.— Contract, No. 12 Metalling Wmrangi Swamp .Road, Stanley and party have dune this work faithfully according to the specification. Tho metal is well broken and nearly spread to the required depth and widih. Thecost is between tVO and t'ifi. I would recommend the Council to procure say, 00 yards of broken metal, stack it at the end of the road and use it. for repairs as required. A contract could be let to keep the road in repair for a small sum, and as ruts were formed they cnld be filled in before the road got into a bad state. The road also would bo much improved by being widened with clay. The contractor, Stanley, offers to supply broken metal (2.\- inch) for 3s Gd, stacked at the road, at lid per yard Both prices are reasonable. —Contract No. 13. Churohill-Rangiriri road: This wrn'k ] la , s been well carried out at a cost of £18 2s or £3 2s in ex-cess of the vote, but this could not be avoided, as some portions not intended to ba touched were so bad that they could not well be loft out. With regard to this road I would call the attention of the Council to the sweet briars growing along the river bank between Rangiriri and Mr Thompson's pah. In a year or two they will be in full possession of Ihe road and traffic will be seriously impended if indeed not stopped. To eradicate at present would not ba a heavy undertaking.—Contract No, 14, Onetea Bridge to Gall's: This contract, is faithfully carried out at the price voted, viz., £13, and tiie clearing of the briars off the road is a good thing, as they were spreading tremendously ; in fact all round Kangiriri they promise to bo a nuisance, and an expensive one.—Contract No. 10, Matiihura, Road : This work has linen fairly well carried out, lacking a little finish, but the settlers in the Matahura Valley ara now assured of a road, which will carry the winter traffic safely. This work cost £33 lis. vote £30, saving £S lis. —Contract No. l(j was let to Mr Sutherland for £12 (this is Collin's deviation), and the work is being carried out, and I have no doubt will be well done. 1 would call attention to the main road through Huntly. It is worn out into holes and hollows, and in wet weather carries a series of small lakes on tho part used for traffic. The formation of this would not cost much, and I find that gravel can be procured reasonably. I would here remark that it would not be much use forming this road unless Home gravel or clay was put- on the formation, because the soil is so light and sandy that _ it will positively be blown away in patches and holes left again in a short timo. If the road was formed from the railway wharf crossing past the Public Hall and school to the corner where it runs close to the railway it would bo a great boon to the residents. Tho distance is under 40 chains. 1 inspected the road beyond Wairangi, near Mr Mears' and Mr Clarke's, where there is a very bad swampy place, quite impassable in winter, ft requires a small culvert, side drains, fascining and .claying for a length of from four to six chains, and will probably cost £10. I have an offer to do this work from tho contractor who has just finished No 10 and 11 contracts, which I will submit to the Council, or it may be considered advisable to call for tenders for the work. At the Ratigiriri Bridge, S. W. corner, a post and one set of rails is much wanted, to turn the cattle oil' the track they at present- take to get to the river, and which is wearing into the road in a very dangerous position, and may at any moment cause an accident. The cost of the work should not exceed a few shillings. Tho furze is growing luxuriantly on the main road in in any places. The Narrows Bridge repairs have been carried out successfully and well, and the structure should not require mucn outlay for repairs for some time to come. I found Wilson's Portland cement to be of most excellent quality, and it undoubtedly is all that they claim for it, whilst the prime cost of cement concrete over the lime is a trifle the advantages are undeniable, the abutments being tit to take tiie pressure of the bridge in a wonderfully short space of time after being built in. The total cost of the repairs lims been some £10 below my estimate made to tho Council before undertaking tho work. Tho estimate was £80 without supervision which will still leave it below the amount first mentioned. The notices with By-law re walking over bridges are being distributed. —I am Sir, yours faithfully, T. G. Sandeh.