D.—l.

Table 3 below shows the extent and types of work carried out on the main highways system by the Board and local authorities each year since the Board commenced active operations in 1924-: —

Table 4.—Lengths of Main Highways metalled and surfaced since Inception of Board's Operations (9th June, 1924).

A general description of the more important highway activities in each district is given hereunder Whcmgarei District. Since the completion of the metalling of the 1,000 miles of highway some years ago in what was formerly known as " the roadless north," the Board has centred its activities principally on two main classes of improvement work —namely, the alleviation of flooding, and the renewal of the large number of obsolete one-way timber bridges in this district. The flood-embankment and deviation work has now reached a stage practically ensuring that hold-ups from this cause are obviated and the possibility of any township being isolated is very remote, both of which conditions were of frequent occurrence ; while the bridge-programme is also well advanced, twenty-five bridges being erected during the year, as well as two overbridges. The latter complete the elimination of all level crossings on the State highway between Auckland and Whangarei.

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Formation Gravelling Tar and Road-and- Bituminous I p or^]anc j. Year. and and Bituminous « ant -. mix Macadam Bituminous Bridges. Widening. Metalling. Sealing. < 1^ a " Concrete. Concrete _ Miles. Miles. Miles. Miles. Miles. Miles. Miles. Ft. 1924-25.. .. 19 63 6 .. 6 .. .. 2,434 1925-26.. ..45 88 16 45 4 6 5,168 1926-27.. .. 174 151 35 .. 38 12 16 6,408 1927-28.. .. 173 133 83 .. 34 .. 6 7,760 1928-29.. .. 224 185 122 .. 51 14 11 9,482 1929-30.. .. 173 179 133 .. 39 31 12 7,547 1930-31.. .. 130 128 95 .. 41 14 9 11,175 1931-32.. .. 139 69 129 32 9 3 4,062 1932-33.. .. 56 45 72 .. 8 .. .. 3,178 1933-34.. .. 44 28 75 .. 7 .. 1 4,988 1934-35.. .. 113 69 172 27 3 2 6,641 1935-36.. .. 152 98 245 91 2 .. .. 8,718 1936-37.. .. 272 131 184 67 3 .. .. 9,575 1937-38.. .. 329 241 282 49 .. .. .. 11,106 1938-39.. .. 491 188 357 67 2 .. .. 25,561 Totals .. 2,534 1,796 2,006 301 311 84 66 123,803

Total Type of Surface. g At close of Period ending Main 1^, u^ a f' n r „ us tless Highways. Pumice and Gravel and i Dustlesa added daring Surfacing to Clay. Macadam, j Surfacing. Year " Highways" Miles. Miles. Miles. Miles. Miles. 9th June, 1924 .. 5,954 1,535 4,171 248 .. 4-2 31st March, 1925 .. 5,954 1,472 4,222 260 12 4-4 1926 .. 6,272 1,384 4,557 331 71 5-3 1927 .. 6,391 1,233 4,726 432 101 6-8 1928 .. 6,608 1,100 4,953 555 123 8-4 1929 .. 10,403 915 8,735 753 198 7-2 1930 .. 10,408 736 8,705 967 214 9-3 1931 ..' 10,419 608 8,685 1,126 159 10-8 1932 .. 10,846 539 9,009 1,298 172 12-0 1933 .. 10,878 494 9,005 1,379 81 12-7 1934 .. 10,974 466 9,047 1,461 82 13-3 1935 .. 11,557 397 9,494 1,666 205 14-4 1936 .. 12,048 390 9,715 1,943 277 16-1 1937 .. 12,114 353 9,634 2,127 184 17-6 1938 .. 12,136 332 9,389 2,415 288 19-9 1939 .. 12,206 295 9,111 2,800 385 22-9 Percentage at 31st March, 100 2-4 74-7 22-9 1939