D.—l.

Stratford-Taumarunui (No. 6 Highway District) : — Paparata Saddle - County Boundary Section : 18 ch. of metalling was completed between Tokirima and tie county boundary. County Boundary - Taumarunui Section : The Otunui Stream Bridge was carried away by flood, and a temporary low-level bridge with approaches was constructed. Raurimu-Wade's Landing. —Moronui Stream Bridge : This bridge, 85 ft. long, in steel and hardwood, was completed. Piopio-Tatu. —Wairere - County Boundary Section : Paro Road—2 m. 70 ch. of metalling was completed. National Park - Taupo. —Otukou Deviation : 3m. 36 ch. of formation was completed. Te Maire - Mangaohutu. —The cutting-back of corners and improvements of the alignment were undertaken. Te Kwmi -Te Anga. —Mangaohae - County Boundary Section : Bell's Bridge—This bridge, 80 ft. long, in steel and timber, was completed. Kumara-Paraheka. —49ij? ch. of metal was laid, completing the metalling of this highway. Tokirima Highway. —Bl| ch. of re-formation and 112| ch. of metalling were completed. Manunui-Owhango. —Re-formation and metalling of the 2 m. clay section near Owhango are in hand. Otunui Highway. —Heavy rains caused considerable damage, three bridges being completely washed away. Temporary bridges were erected. Bruce Highway. —The Whakapapanui Stream Bridge near the Chateau was carried away, and a temporary structure erected in its place. Auckland-Wellington, via Taranaki (No. 7 Highway District). —Taranaki County Section: The approaches to the railway overbridge near Waitara, 9 ch. in length, have been surfaced with a bituminous penetration course ; this completes the elimination of the level crossing. Lepperton Junction - Hawera, via Opunake : — The Timaru Hill Deviation, 31 ch. in length, and the Oeo Deviation of 18 ch., have been surfaced with bitumen. Im. of bituminous surfacing west of Inaha Road has been widened to 18 ft. New Plymouth - Kaimata. —Between New Plymouth and the Waiwakaiho Stream 30 ch. of bituminous surfacing has been widened to 18 ft. Pukearuhe Highway. —The old bridge over the Papatiki Stream has been replaced with a rolled-steel joist bridge of 25 ft. span. Egmont Highway. —A small deviation eliminating a sharp reverse curve at Peter's Corner has been put in hand. Skeet Highway. —Hawera County Section : The replacement of the old bridge over the Waingongoro Stream with a second-hand railway truss of 70 ft. span is under way. Stratford-Taumarunui (No. 7 Highway District). —Strathmore-Paparata Saddle : The Pukaki Stream Bridge has been replaced with twin 4-ft.-diameter concrete pipes. Toko Highway. —A second coat of bitumen has been applied over a length of 1 m. 50 ch. Normanby-Manaia - Mount Egmont Main Highway. —6o ch. of the bituminous surfacing has been widened to 16 ft. Auckland-Wellington, via Taranaki (No. 8 Highway District) : — Patea County Section : Im. 20 ch. of widening of the bituminous pavement was completed, making a total of 13J m. since the commencement of this work, and foundation metal for similar widening has been laid on a further length of 45 ch. Waitotara County Section : 31 ch. was reconstructed and 47 ch. metalled on the Waitotara Hill, and 1 m. 66 ch. sealed with one coat of tar. Rangitikei County Section : sm. 15 ch. of reconstruction and metalling was carried out between Turakina and Bulls, 70 ch. sealed with one coat of tar, and a contract let for the sealing of several sections totalling 14 m. between Wangaehu and Bulls, of which 4 m. 70 ch. of secondcoat work has been completed. The re-formation of 28 ch. on McQuarries' Hill, south of Turakina, is in hand. Te Kuiti - Bulls, via Taumarunui (No. 8 Highway District) : — Rangitikei County Section : The formation, metalling, and fencing of 21 ch. of the approaches to the Hautapu River Bridge, Taihape, and the reconstruction and metalling of a deviation 18 ch. in length at Anderson's Bend, Winiata, have been carried out. Waimarino County Section : The metalling of the Tohanga Road Deviation, 2m. 30 ch. in length, has been completed, and contracts let for the construction of the Makotuku Stream Bridge and Haeremaiea Stream culvert. Heads-Mosstown. —32 ch. has been reconstructed and metalled. Kohi Highway. —A length of 13 ch. has been metalled. Kaharoa Highway. —44 ch. of metalling was carried out. Raetihi-Ohakune: — Waimarino County Section : A reinforced-concrete arch culvert, replacing a wooden bridge, was constructed over the Makaranui Stream. Raetihi Borough : 4 ch. of the approaches to the Makotuku Stream Bridge has been surfaced with bitumen. Turakina Cliff Road, via Marton. —Rangitikei County Section : The reconstruction of Gower's Hill has been advanced to a stage enabling traffic to be diverted over the new filling. Wanganui-Horopito. —Improvements of this highway have been continued ; 2m. 50 ch. of widening and metalling has been completed, and a further length of Im.is in hand; a2O ft. by 10 ft. watertunnel, 444 ft. in length, has been driven at the Kakatahi Stream. A length of 60 ft. of McLean's water-tunnel has been lined with concrete.

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