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Napier District. The work carried out has been confined mainly to the completion of short lengths of sealing, preparations for which had already been made, also of lengths of formation, &c., in cases where only a small amount of additional work was necessary to bring them into use. A number of urgent bridge renewals have also been put in hand or completed during the year. On the Taupo-Napier State highway construction work was carried on from July until October, 1940, on the Runanga Deviation, and a 205 ft. water-drive 9 ft. by 9 ft. 7 in. in cross-section has been completed on Baker's Deviation. On the Mohaka River - Eskdale section construction work was also carried on for a few months, 4 miles 30 chains of formation being completed. One-coat sealing has been completed over a total length of 7J miles, and a 3-mile length of priming has been put down. On the Gisborne-Napier. via Hangaroa State highway a now concrete bridge 300 ft. long, and 55 ft. above water-level, has been completed over the Mangapoike River at Opoiti. Work on the approaches is in hand. In the same locality a short timber bridge was replaced by a twin 6 ft. pipe culvert 64 ft. long, and similar work was undertaken in the case of two other bridges near Wairoa. A small amount of reconstruction work was carried out north of Wairoa. The replacement of the old Waikare River Bridge by a concrete structure is in hand. Three miles of sealing was carried out. The construction of a concrete bridge with 24 ft. roadway over the Esk River, comprising eight 60 ft. spans, has been completed. The original bridge was carried away by the disastrous Hawke's Bay flood of 1938. Since then traffic has been carried on a temporary structure. Adjacent to the new Esk River Bridge the construction of a concrete overbridge 96 ft. long was put in hand to eliminate a dangerous railway-crossing, and is'now completed. South of Paki Paki, on a tortuous section of the Napier - Palmerston North State highway, 3 miles of heavy formation has been completed. The formation work was closed down last December, but in order to make as much as possible available for traffic the metalling of 1J miles is now in hand. In the Waipawa Borough 34 chains of reconstruction and sealing and 50 chains of plant-mix resurfacing have been carried out. The Maharakeke Bridge, 178 ft. long, has been completed, together with 18 chains of approaches. A dangerous section will be eliminated by the completion of the Piri Piri Deviation, 1 mile 5 chains in length, which is now in hand. Reconstruction with improved alignment has been completed on the Maharahara-Matahiwi North and Matihiwi South Deviations, 76 chains and 41 chains long respectively. A concrete bridge 80 ft. long over the Manga-atua Stream has been completed. Priming was carried out on a 20-chain length of the Dannevirke-Waipawa County Boundary Deviation. On the Te Uri - Norsewood main highway a length of 1 mile 73 chains has been reconstructed near the Mangahei Road junction. The approaches to the Orua-Kiritaki Bridge have been reconstructed on the Woodville County section of the Woodville-Tamaki main highway. On the Waipukurau-Matamau main highway the approaches to the Papatu Overbridge have been completed. The Ngaruroro River Bridge at Pakowhai, on the Farndon-Paki Paki main highway, consisting of nine 75 ft. spans, together with the approaches, has been completed, and the old timber bridge dismantled. The Morea concrete bridge 80 ft. long, and its approaches, which are on a 70-chain deviation, have been completed on the Otane-Tuki Tuki main highway. On the Dannevirke-Waipukurau main highway, 2 miles 24 chains of reconstruction and sealing has been completed in Waipukurau County, and 1 mile 40 chains in Patangata County. The formation and metalling of the Waitahora to Cross Roads Deviation, 36 chains long, has been completed. The total lengths of highway in the district prepared or being prepared for sealing are as under : Prepared for sealing but not primed, If miles; prepared for sealing and primed, 3|- miles. Taumarunui District. Substantial progress was made with the improvement of the State highways in this district, miles being sealed on reconstructed surfacing north of Taumarunui, and 6f miles on the southern section. The elimination of several narrow lengths with sharp curvature has been undertaken, involving heavy formation in papa of a total length of If miles. This includes the Mangatupoto Deviation, 29 chains in length, with a 72 ft. bridge over the Ohura River and a 12 ft. arched culvert. The work has now been completed, with the exception of the bridge approaches. Between the Ongarue turnoff and Taumarunui, 4f miles of formation and metalling were carried out, and a further If miles remains to complete this section for sealing. On the Manunui-Piriaka section 30 chains of highway was raised above high-flood level, 7 chains of stone protective-work being provided. Twenty-five chains of formation and metalling were carried out to complete the reconstruction of 71 miles between Owhango and Oio, and the sealing-coat has now been applied on the greater part of this length. Several short lengths have been sealed on the secondary highways, and 1 mile was reconstructed and metalled on the Pio Pio - Tatu highway. The restoration of damage caused by the severe flood of February, 1940, has been continued, and has necessitated a great deal of work throughout the district.

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