33

D.—l.

APPENDIX ID.

ANNUAL REPORT ON ROADS IN THE NORTH ISLAND, INCLUDING OTHER MISCELLANEOUS WORKS, BY THE ENGINEER IN CHARGE.

The Engineeb in Chaege, North Island, to the Hon. the Ministee for Public Wobks. Sib,— Public Works Office, Wellington, 31st March, 1881. I have the honor to forward annual report on roads and other miscellaneous works for the year ending 31st March, 1881.

AUCKLAND. Great South Road.—This has been kept in repair during the year. Cambridge-Rotorua Road (55 miles). —Several contracts for formation and bridges have been let, and are finished or in progress through the open land, about 19 miles in all; and the line through the bush at the Rotorua end, about 12| miles, has been felled and cleared by Native labour, so as to form a bridle-track. The road has been used by horsemen throughout for some time. After this track'had been opened, an endeavour was made to have the bush felled at least 1 chain wide, and a wide track cleared by the Natives, under contract or piece work, but they declined to work except on daily pay of 65., which was not acceded to, and the work remains in abeyance. Te Awamutu Railway-station Road (66 chains long).—About one-half of this was metalled last year; the remainder, it is expected, will be finished in May or June next. Whatawhata Road Bridge (over the Waipa River, on the Hamilton-Raglan Line of Road). —This work, which consists of two spans of 80 feet, seven spans of 40 feet, and four of 20 feet (520 feet total), has been satisfactorily completed under contract, and was opened for traffic on the 20th April last. Te Rore Road Bridge (over the Waipa River, about 2\ miles north of Alexandra.—This bridge is now being erected under contract, and is progressing in a satisfactory manner. It consists of one span of 80 feet, four spans of 40 feet, and eight of 20 feet (402 feet total), with a long and high embanked approach on the eastern bank. Pokeno-Miranda Road. —The contract for the formation of about one mile of this was completed satisfactorily on the 12th instant, and the portions of the road requiring it have been covered with river gravel. Cox's Creek Bridge. —Tenders were invited for the execution of this work, but after they were received objections were made by a number of persons to the erection of the bridge, on the ground that it would interfere with navigation, and the matter still remains undecided. Te Aroha Block, Drainage. —Contract No. 1, 3 miles 76 chains of drain, was satisfactorily completed on 10th September, 1880, and Contract No. 2 on 12th instant, making with No. 1 contract a total of 11 miles 78-j chains of drains. BAY OF PLENTY. Tauranga, East Cape. —For convenience of description this has been divided into sections as below. On the Te Kaka and Raukokou section about 4 miles has been formed 4 feet wide by the Whakatane County Council on a line surveyed and laid off by the Public Works Department. The road is not at present in a good state for horse traffic; about 8 miles require forming, and the portion formed by the County Council requires to be made wider. Between Raukokou and Kawakawa (East Cape) is barely passable for horsemen. It is only a Native track, and a proper line has not yet been surveyed. On the same line of road the portion between Maraenui and Omaio has been maintained by a Native contractor, and at present is in a good state for horse traffic; length about 6 miles, of which 4 are in bush, the remainder in open fern and manuka scrub : it is formed 8 feet wide. The section between Maraenui and Hawai, about 5i miles in bush, and sideling, has been laid off, but not formed. Its formation would be a very great boon to travellers, as the present track is along a stony beach under perpendicular cliffs, and is often impassable. Another section, Opape-Torere, 7 miles, and formed 8 feet, is in good order, having been maintained by a Native contractor: about 2 miles in bush, the rest in broken fern country. The section between Whakatane and Ohiwa has been surveyed and laid off, 8 miles over very rough and broken country, 24 miles in bush, the remainder through manuka scrub and fern. When formed this will be an outlet for produce from Whakatane District to Ohiwa Harbour. Whakatane-Ohope. —This section was put in thorough repair last April, and has since been maintained in a good state for horse traffic; length, 3i miles; formation, 8 feet wide, through very rough and broken fern country. On the same line of road, between Maiata and Maketu, 8| miles have been laid off and formed 12 feet wide, 6i miles by Native contractors. This section consists of light side-cutting, swamp, and fern country. The work is not yet complete, only a portion being as yet fit for traffic. Matata-Te Teko.- —-This road has been partially repaired during the year for horse traffic ; it still requires a good deal of work to fit it for cart traffic. Its length is 15 miles, formed 14 feet; it lies through open, flat, and undulating fern country, its direction being inland from Matata on the coast.