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Langdale Bridge (Masterton County). —Work has been completed on a reinforced-concrete bridge of one 40 ft. and two 25 ft. spans. Ruamahunga River Bridge (Opaki) (Masterton County).—Good progress has been made with the erection of a reinforced-concrete bridge consisting of three 80 ft. spans with a 20 ft. wide roadway. The handrails and approaches are still receiving attention. Mangaone Stream Bridge (Oroua County). —Work was commenced on a reinforced-concrete bridge consisting of two spans of 43 ft. 6 in. and two of 15 ft. 6 in. The roadway will be 12 ft. wide, and by the end of the period the concreting of the piers and abutments had been completed. Woodville to Ashhurst Road (Oroua and Woodville Counties). —This new road will give an alternative access between Ashurst and Woodville when the Manawatu Gorge Highway is blocked. At other times it will provide a much-needed stock route. During the period 2m. of formation and 1 m. 40 ch. of metalling was completed, some 51,485 cubic yards of earthwork being involved. Concrete-pipe culverts varying from 9 in. to 36 in. in diameter are being installed. Harris Culvert (Pahiatua County). —Work has been completed in connection with the installation of a reinforced-concrete culvert, with an 8 ft. by 8 ft. waterway, and 45 ft. long. Haywards to Pahautanui Road (Hutt County). —The construction oil this road was previously of only a poor settlement standard, and in order to give necessary improvement and safer access from the Lower Hutt Valley to Pahautanui on the west coast a programme involving the complete reconstruction of the road was authorized. In places the work involves major deviations, and during the year a length of lm. 76 ch. of formation 24 ft. wide has been completed. 2,230 ft. of concrete-pipe culverts varying in size from 12 in. to 72 in. in diameter have been placed in the new formation. Western Hutt Road (Hutt County).—Previously this road did not give direct access on to the existing main highway at Silverstream, but it is now being greatly improved by widening, and a substantial bridge is being erected across the Hutt River at the northern end. The road will be greatly used by city motorists as a by-pass to the congested area of the Lower Hutt Borough. During the year 4m. of formation and 3m. 40 ch. of metalling has been completed. The formation on the western approach to the bridge at Silverstream is in progress, as is also the excavation of the river-bed to allow for more waterway under the new bridge, which will be a reinforced-concrete structure consisting of eight 62 ft. spans with a 22 ft. wide roadway and two 4 ft. wide footpaths. Plimmerton to Paekakariki Road (Hutt County). —This road is being constructed as the future highway, taking the place of the present tortuous road over the Paekakariki Saddle. The work carried out during the year has consisted of the excavation, drainage, and filling of swamps, formation through sandhills, and formation in clay and rock. Three sections are in progress, the total length being approximately 3m. 40 ch. 37,507 cubic yards of swamp soil has been excavated and spread over adjoining paddocks, while 24,000 cubic yards of clay and rock have been filled into the swamp excavations. A length of Im. 46 ch. of formation has been completed and 1,419 lineal feet of concretepipe culverts ranging from 12 in. to 48 in. in diameter have been placed. Foundation tests have been made for the overbridge which will connect up with the present main highway at Paekakariki. Camp accommodation is being provided for 250 men. Thorndon Overbridge (Wellington City). —In view of the difficult approach to Wellington City by way of Thorndon Quay and the necessity for facilities enabling the full use of the wide highway along Waterloo and Taupo Quays, an overbridge is being erected at Thorndon to carry traffic over the several railway-lines at that point. The overbridge will have a 44 ft. wide roadway with alO ft. wide footway. The crossing will be in reinforced-concrete, and will be approximately 690 ft. long. Work carried out so far is on the erection of retaining-walls, excavation, and pile-driving. Nelson District. Grey Valley Road (Awatere County).—This road provides communication between the Wairau and Awatere Valleys and is mainly used as a stock route. Improvements over various short stretches and widening on rock bluffs have been carried out over a total distance of 11 m. TJre River Road, Access to Palmers (Awatere County).—Work on this access road was commenced during the year, and 1 m. 8 ch. of 12 ft. formation has been completed, together with 198 ft. of concretepipe culverting. An extension of the improvements over a distance of Im. 46ch. has been authorized and work is continuing. Fifteen-mile Creek Bridge (Collingwood County). —Plans and specifications for a three - span cantilever bridge in reinforced concrete, 100 ft. overall length, with 10 ft. wide roadway have been prepared. Tenders have been called three times without satisfactory results, and arrangements are being made for the Department to carry out the work. Pakawau to Mangarakau Road (Collingwood County). —This work which is nearing completion will give dry all-weather access to a large area of pastoral, milling, and mining country south of the Westhaven Inlet. A length of sm. 14 ch. of formation and 920 lineal feet of concrete-pipe culverting has been completed during the year, and with the progress made during the previous year brings the completed formation up to 9m. 43 ch. out of a total length of 11 m. 25 ch. Stone-pitching of banks across the various tidal arms has been carried out by means of a punt specially constructed for the purpose. One bridge of five 25 ft. spans consisting of New Zealand timber carried on reinforcedconcrete piers and abutments has been completed at Muddy Creek. The metalling of the new formation is to receive attention during the coming summer season. North Bank Road, Top Valley to Patriarch (Marlborough County).—The County Council has carried out the formation of 1 m. 40 ch. of road which gives access to settlers on the north bank of the Wairau River. Tunakino Valley Road (Marlborough County).—This road has been constructed by the County Council on higher levels than the previous access in order that the settlers in the valley might be given a safer and better access to their properties. Im. 16 ch. has been formed 14 ft. wide, metalling has

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