HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20954, 6 November 1939, Page 11

HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION

BIG WORKS FINISHED COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION OPENING CEREMONIES (By Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Saturday The official opening ceremonies in connection with two of the greatest road works from the point of view of advanced highway construction in New Zealand took place to-day. The first is the completely transformed Ngahauranga Gorge Road giving main access to Wellington from the West Coast, and the other the coastal road between Plimmerton and Paekakariki, cutting out a 900 ft. climb over Paekakariki Hill and shortening the West Coast highway by some four miles The ceremonies were performed by the Hon. R. Semple, Minister of Public Works. Mrs Semple afterwards cutting the ribbon. Accompanied by other representatives of the Government, officers of the Main Highways Board, and the Mavors and chairmen of the local bodies in the Wellington district, took part in the ceremony at Ngahauranga in the early afternoon, where all work represents the most advanced road engineering job ever carried out in New Zealand or Australia. The power plant was used throughout. An enormous auantity of rock was ripped out. and in place of a tortuous narrow road with its 48 a magnificent divided highwav passes through the gorge on in even grade in practically two broad sweeps. Half a million cubic yards of rock were shifted during its construction in the past 15 months. The Plimmerton Road was opened later. It follows the railway route from Paekakariki, and is built up from the sea for several miles. Construction is not quite completed, but it is well ahead of programme time. Its principle feature is the design ofthe sea wall to turn back heavy rollers from the west. ANOTHER GREAT WORK N G AH AUR ANG A-PETONE ONE-WAY ROADWAYS (By TPl^OTnnfi.—Prnw * senclatton) WELLINGTON, Saturday Associated with the Ngahauranga Gorge road reconstruction is the widening, breaking up, and dividing of the main highway between Ngahauranga and Petone into one-way roadways, each providing two lanes for traffic, spoil from the gorge being used largely for the purpose. : Mr Semple said that recent traffic tallies showed that an average of 8500 vehicles a day were using this' road, and the approach of the Cen- j tennial Exhibition with the conse- 1 quent influx of visiting traffic de-! manded that there should be an improvement without delay. A wire cable . and netting safety fence has been installed where required. A 10ft. cycle track has been retained on the seaward,

side, and between this and the reconstructed roadway is to be a parking strip. The Ngahauranga Gorge road pro- ' vides four 12ft. lanes, two each way. | Opposing traffic is separated by a raised strip w T ith shrubs planted along it. There are only five curves from Ngahauranga to Johnsonville, and a footpath has been provided for , pedestrian traffic. The total cost of the earth- j work done by machines was i £85,460. By hand it would have cost £225,000. The length is a mile and threequarters, shortening the old route by 45 chains. The grade is 1 in 13 for 65 chains, then nearly level into Johnsonville. j