D.—l

Malfroy's Bridge (Westland County). —This bridge was erected many years ago, and now gives access to a sawmill and to settlers. Two spans were added last year, and another 60 ft. truss in hardwood timber, with steel bottom chord, added this year has placed the bridge in a sound condition. La Fontaine Road (Westland County).—This new road will give access to a sawmill at the mouth of the Wanganui River and will be of use for settlement purposes when the milling-timber has been extracted. Up till the present time a distance of 2m. 30 eh. has been completed. Christchurch District. Hossack Road (Amuri County).—This is a road giving access to a backblocks grazing-run, and during the period under review an additional length of 1 m. 40 ch. of formation and metalling was completed. Lewis Pass Road (Amuri County). —This new route will give a direct access from North Canterbury to the northern and middle sections of the West Coast area. Unfavourable weather conditions have caused stoppages which have delayed the completion of the work, but it is nevertheless expected that the route will be opened to traffic in the course of a few months. During the year 9m. of formation was carried out, including a length of 11 ch. in rock sidling, where the batters vary in height from 40 ft. to 80 ft. A length of 10 m. has been metalled, and it is expected that both formation and metalling will be completed by the month of October. Reinforced-concrete bridges have been erected over four small streams, and there yet remains ten of these crossings to be built. It is not intended to construct permanent bridges over the Hope and Boyle Rivers immediately, as the temporary structures of 333 ft. and 116 ft. respectively, erected during the last period, will give satisfactory access for some time. Reinforced-concrete pipe culverts, totalling 3,000 ft. long, have been laid in the formation. Maronan to Ealing Road (Ashburton County). —A distance of 2m. has been formed and metalled on this road during the period under review. Crystal Brook Bridge, Brophy's Road (Cheviot County).—A bridge 52ft. long has been erected to eliminate a very unsatisfactory ford and to give all-weather access to several settlers. Hurunui Valley to Blythe Valley Road (Cheviot County). —This new road is now under construction, and will give necessary and improved access to five settlers. The total length is 2m. 60 ch., and formation carried out during the year covered a length of 60 ch. Summit Road (Dyer's Pass to Gebbie's Pass), (Halswell, Heathcote, and Mount Herbert Counties). — This scenic road along the hills surrounding Christchurch City is a continuation of the Summit Highway. Widening to 20 ft. has been completed over the whole length of Bm. 40 ch., and metalling will be undertaken as soon as the men and plant are available from the work which is also being carried out on the Summit Highway. Puhipuhi Road Bridge (Kaikoura County). —Construction work on the approaches is well in hand, but although a contract has been let for the erection of the bridge it is found that the work is being held up by the delayed arrival of the Australian hardwood timbers. Askin's Road (Mackenzie Comity). —A distance of Im. 74 ch. has been reformed and metalled during the period to give improved access to an isolated area of settlement country. Glen Lyon Access Road (Mackenzie County). —The work commenced in previous years has been continued, and the formation and metalling carried out over a length of 11 m. during the year has completed the whole programme on this backblocks access road. Lake Ohau Road (Mackenzie County).—This is a road giving access to several back-country runs, and on which 3 m. of formation and 8 m. of metalling has been completed during the year. Lake Coleridge to Lake Lyndon Road (Selwyn County). —This road extends over a distance of Bm. 60 ch., and during the year a length of 4m. was re-formed and metalled. The route will be extensively used in connection with the erection of the Lake Coleridge to West Coast transmission-line, besides giving southern travellers a more direct route to the West Coast. Dunedin District. Clarendon to Berwick Road (Bruce County).—Formation was completed to a width of 14 ft. over a total distance of 2m. 70 ch. Metalling was also undertaken, but a distance of only Im. 31 ch. was completed during the period. Salmonds Creek Bridge (Bruce County).—A reinforced-concrete bridge, 8 ft. wide between wheel guards, and consisting of three 17 ft. spans, was erected, and 5 ch. of approach filling and gravelling was completed. Long Point Road (Clutha Comity).—The widening and metalling improvements commenced during the previous year were completed during the period under review. Sharks Creek Road (Clutha County). —This route is 1 m. 13 ch. in length, and was widened to widths varying between 14 ft. and 16 ft. Culverting and metalling was completed. The road forms a connecting-link between two other settlement routes and will enable a mail-service to operate more conveniently, besides giving metalled access to three settlers. Centre Road, Maclennan (Clutha County). —An unmetalled gap of 67 ch. between Maclennan and Stuarts Siding was widened and metalled. Bald Hill to Hummock Runs Road (Taieri County).—A distance of 6m. was gravelled. Lee Stream School to Hindon Road (Taieri County).—Gravelling was carried out over a length of 3 m. Top Road, Strath Taieri (Taieri County).—Gravelling was completed over a distance of 7 m. Shanks Road (Tuapeka County).—Formation 16 ft. wide was completed over a distance of 1 m. 58 ch., and one reinforced-concrete bridge of 45 ft. span, with a width of 12 ft. between wheel guards, was erected.

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