75

C.—l

The following roads have been maintained during the year ended 31st March, 1897: —

A. C. Tuenee, Road Surveyor.

MARLBOROUGH. Brown River Bridge. —This work, situated in the Rai Valley, on the Blenheim-Nelson Road, comprising a truss bridge of 45 ft. span and 15 chains of embanked approaches, is now complete, having been executed under contract from a design prepared in and under the supervision of this office. The construction of this bridge minimises the inconvenience caused by back-water from the Rai Valley impeding traffic. Spring Creek Bridge. —The old bridge over this creek, having got into great disrepair, has been removed and replaced by a substantial structure in two spans of 30 ft.; the approaches have been rebuilt, and 5 chains of road-metal laid. Clarence Bridge. —Repairs to the approaches of this bridge, consisting chiefly of slips on the right bank of the liver, have been effected, and a traverse made of the river, and survey of flooddamages to the left or north bank. Flood-waters in the Clarence River have had lately a tendency to cut into the bridge embankment on the north side of the river. The removal by the bridge contractors of the heavy boulders from the river-bed close under the left bank to form groins impaired the regime of the river-bed, and permitted this left branch to become almost, if not quite, the main stream, to the detriment of the left bank. The floods of June and July, 1896, have partially rectified this by bringing down more boulders, the greater number replacing those removed. This has reduced the velocity in the left branch, and lessened the scour, and has also perceptibly caused the flow of this branch to revert to the central or main stream. The repairs to the groins damaged by the floods have not as yet been commenced. Tracks, Queen Charlotte Sound. —A bridle-road leading from Section 36, Otenarua Bay, to a saddle 850 ft. above sea-level in the range on Arapawa Island, between Queen Charlotte Sound and Tory Channel, has, in answer to a petition from the settlers of the district, been laid off, graded,

Name of Road. Dray-road. Bridle-road. Total Length o; Road. M. ch. 1 17 M. ch. M. oh. 1 17 0 40 0 40 2 0 4 10 6 45 3 0 4 13 3 0 1 44 2 65 2 23 3 6i 2 4 1 27 4 60 3 20 4 4 7 0 5 0 10 0 37 0 3 0 2 0 4 13 3 0 2 0 17 0 6 40 3 70 0 46 4 16 12 0 9 0 2 40 0 70 5 40 1 40 17 0 7 0 7 0 Kawatau Valley... Ngaio ... Totara ... Auputu... Te Parapara Manga wharariki Pukerimu Mangarere (Hautapu No. 2) Cross (Hautapu)... Conspicuous Oroua Main Table Plat Apiti-Norsewood Umutoi (Pohangina) Tunipo... Makoura Makiekie Umutoi (Salisbury) Mangatoro Valley Towai (Coonoor) Upper Makuri ... Alfredton-Weber Waihi-Akitio Akitio ... Waihi ... Bange ... Cross ... Makuri-Pongaroa Makuri- Aohanga Huia (Woodville) Burling's-Mecalickstone ... Utewai... Makairo Pahiatua-Palmerston 6 45 3 0 0 40 0 40 2 0 4 10 4 13 3 0 1 44 2 65 2 23 3 64 2 4 1 27 4 60 3 20 4 4 7 0 3 40 10 0 31 40 1 40 5 40 3 0 2 0 4 13 3 0 2 0 12 0 6 40 3 70 5 0 0 46 2 0 4 0 2 16 8 0 9 0 Mangaramarama North Tiraumea... Woodville-Aohanga Makuri Township Tiritea-Makuri ... Mangaone Valley Tiraumea Valley 2 40 0 70 5 40 1 40 17 0 7 0 7 0 Totals ... 110 18 107 55£ 217 73£