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52

NELSON.

Nelson-Havelock Bridge. —On fifteen miles of this road, which is within this district, the Waimea County Council has expended £43 4s. 6d. out of county funds on repairs. Owing to late floods the road is in a bad state from want of metalling, and will become almost impassable unless a further amount is expended before the coming winter. Nelson, Westport, Greymouth, Hokitika Main Road.— -The Waimea County has expended the sum of £225 ss. 9d. on maintenance, and repairs of damages by floods. The Buller County has spent the sum of £500 on maintenance, and the Inangahua County £824 lis. 4d. on repairs and maintenance, including renewal of one bridge, 56ft. span, at the White Cliffs. Belgrove-Tophouse and Tarndale.— -The Waimea County has expended £80 Bs. sd. in general repairs on a length of thirty-eight miles between Tophouse and Belgrove. The part of this road between Tophouse and Tarndale requires the expenditure of £150 for repairs of road over slips and renewal of a bridge in the Wairau Gorge, now unsafe for traffic. A sum of £50 has been granted for protection works and repairs on the Slips Boad. These works are in hand, and will be completed about the end of April next. Riwaka Valley Bridle-track.— -There has been no expenditure upon this track during the year. Takaka-Rkoaka Road. —£2oo has been expended in improving and metalling this road from Bates's to Lindsay's, a distance of about three miles. Contracts Nos. 1, 2, and 3 have been let on the East Takaka road extension for a length of three miles of construction, by the Collingwood County, for the sum of £1,509 Bs. 4d., and is now in progress. Tenders will shortly be called for contract No. 4 for a further length of 50 chains for widening and metalling, and No. 4a for the construction of a bridge of 41ft. span over Gorge Creek. Little Sydney Road.—A further extension of one mile and a quarter of bridle-track, sft. wide, through rough hilly country, has been constructed with necessary box culverts, ford-ways, &c._ Pigeon Valley-Dovedale. —A contract is being prepared for a further section of 60 chains of dray-road 16ft. wide. An additional sum of £250 is urgently needed to enable the Waimea County to complete this road, as the old road now partly in use has been so much injured by floods that to make any extensive repairs would only be a waste of money, as when the present road now under construction is completed, the old line with very steep grades will be abandoned. Wairoa Gorge Road. —The old track over a very steep bluff has been abandoned, and 11 chains deviation of a 6ft. wide track has been formed, at a cost of £71 10s., principally rock-cutting. Ngatimoti Bridge. —A contract for the erection of this bridge has been let for £528 135., and the work is in progress. The span is 309 ft., over the Motueka River, and the structure is a wire-rope suspension bridge. The anchorages are completed; but, in consequence _of the looseness of the banks, extra work will be required, and it is necessary to have a competent inspector over the work. The cost will be defrayed from a vote of £430, and a loan under the Loan to Local Bodies Act for £400. Mud-flat, Karamea River. —No work has been done on this road during the year. Karamea-Wangapeka. —About two miles of this bridle-track, with dray-road grades as far as can be obtained, will be surveyed shortly, and work put in hand at the Karamea end. A further survey, in continuance of the track existing up to the Wangapeka Saddle, will be put in hand as soon as the snow permits. Matakitaki Road.—The widening of the old bridle-track into a dray-road has been completed for a distance of two miles and three-quarters at a cost of £1,024, of which half is borne by county. Mangles Road.— -Two contracts were completed early in the year for a length of 1 mile 64 chains, including clearing, culverts, formation, and metalling of 9-foot dray-road, at a cost of £354 10s. Larry's Creek. —No work has been done on this during the year. Fox River Bridge. —A contract has been let for the partial re-erection of this bridge, and the construction of a new embankment on the north bank, and the work is in progress. Railway (Beach)-Millerton. —The Buller County has constructed 2 miles 58 chains of bridletrack, at a cost of £861 Bs. 2d. Graham River Bridge. —A substantial bridge of 30ft.-span has been erected by the Waimea County over the Graham River, on the Nelson-Blenheim Road, at a cost of £154 195., of which £125 has been contributed by the Government and the balance from county funds. Purchase of Land for Roads. —A sum of £14 has been paid for land taken for road through Section 169, Square 6, Waiiti Survey District, to give access to back lands. Takaka and Mount Arthur. —No expenditure on this has been undertaken during the year. Lyell-Eight-mile Road. —A special sum of £600 was granted to the Buller County for repairs after floods. Repairs have been made extending over a length of nine miles, including two new bridges and repairs to two others, fifteen box culverts, and remetalling seven miles in length. This work is now completed. Promised Land to Johnson's. —Three contracts have been let by the Buller County. The work in hand consists of widening horse-track into dray-road, 60 chains; re-erection of bridge of 40ft. span over Johnson's Creek ; erection of small bridge over Jordan's Creek, with approaches, and redecking two others; widening road in places, and general repairs. The work will be completed about the end of April next. Totara and Nile Bridges, Repairs. —The sum of £95 has been granted to the Buller County. A contract has been let for repairs to the Totara Bridge, but no work is in hand on Nile Bridge. Brooklyn Valley Road.— -The Riwaka Road Board has completed 1 mile 16 chains of bridletrack 6ft. wide on siding ground, with necessary culverts, ditching, &c, and 20£ chains of sft. track, with stone retaining-wall, Jno. S. Browning, Chief Surveyor.