No. 28 1951. PARLIAMENT OF NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPARTMENT OF MAIN ROADS TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT FOR Year ended 30th June, 1950. Ordered to be printed, 1 November, 1950 Wholly set up and printed in Australia, by A. If. PETTIFER, GOVERNMENT PRINTER, SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES. 1951. * 50812-1 1951—42 Price. DEPARTMENT OF MAIN ROADS, N.S.W. TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT FOR YEAR ENDED 30TH JUNE, 1950. TABLE OE CONTENTS. PAGE. The Minister 1 Legislation ... ... ... ... ... 1 SECTION I. FINANCE. Receipts and Payments ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 Review of the Financial Position of the Roads Funds ... ... ... ... 6 County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund... ... ... ... ... ... 6 Country Main Roads Fund ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 Developmental Roads^Fund ... ... ... ... ... 7 SECTION II. OPERATIONS. The Main Roads System 8 County of Cumberland ... ... 8 Planning of Newcastle and District Arterial Roads System 8 Planning of Wollongong-Port Kembla District Main Roads System 8 Review of the Country Main Roads System ... 9 Traffic Count 11 Alterations and Additions to the Main Roads System ... ... ... ... 12 Naming of Roads <• 12 Rates of Assistance to Councils ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 Metropolitan Road Widening Schemes 13 Road Construction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13 County of Cumberland Works ... ... ... ... ... 14 Country Works (excluding Western Division) ... ... ... 16 Developmental Roads and Works ... ... ... ... ... '21 Maintenance and Minor Improvement Works ... ... ... ... ... ... 24 Effects of Exceptional Floods and Flood Rains 24 General Maintenance and Minor Improvement ... ... "... 1 25 Bituminous Surface Treatment , ... 26 Shoulders ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26 Gravel and Loam ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26 Mechanisation ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27 Roadsides ;.. ... ... ... ... ... ... • • • - • • • • • 27 Traffic Line-marking ... ... ... ... ... ... ... • ... 27 Snow Removal ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27 Western Division ... ... ... ... ... 28 Bridges 29 Bridge Construction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 29 Supply of Materials, Plant and Equipment 31 Plant Maintenance 32 Testing of Materials 32 SECTIONflll. PAGE. TOLL BRIDGES. Sydney Harbour Bridge ... ... ... ... ... 33 Financial Position ... ... ... ... ... 33 Capital Cost ... ... ... ... 34 Traffic 34 Maintenance ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34 Provision of Aircraft Beacon ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 36 * Paint Mixing 36 Experimental Work ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 36 Accommodation for Employees ... ... ... ... ... 36 New Toll Barrier 36 Peat's Ferry Bridge -37 ' Financial Position ... ... ... ... ... 37 Traffic 37 SECTION IV. MISCELLANEOUS. Regulation of Weight of Loads on Main Roads ... ... ... ... ... 39 Straying Stock 40 Railway Level Crossings .... ... ... ... ... 40 Instruction on Plant Maintenance and Operation ... ... ... 40 Employment and Industrial ... ... ... ... 41 Road Safety Exhibitions 42 Sydney Royal Easter Show Exhibit 42 Main Roads Journal ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 42 Housing for Officers ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 42 Visitors from Overseas ... 42 Visits Abroad 43 Acknowledgments... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 43 SECTION V. APPENDICES. Appendix No. 1 County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund—Statement of Receipts and Payments 44 2 Country Main Roads Fund—Statement of Receipts and Payments ... 45 3 Developmental Roads Fund—Statement of Receipts and Payments ... 46 4 Sydney Harbour Bridge Account ... ... ... ... ... ... 46 4A Sydney Harbour Bridge—Statement of Capital ... ... ... ... 47 5 Aggregate Statement of Income and Expenditure from the inception of the Main Roads Board, 1st January, 1925, to 30th June, 1941, and of Cash Receipts and Payments from 1st July, 1941, to 30th June, 1950 ' 47 . 6 Summary of Loan Liabilities—Main and Developmental Roads Funds ... 51 7 County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund—Summary of Expenditure on Construction and Reconstruction Works ... ... ... ... 52 8 Country Main Roads Fund—Summary of Expenditure on Construction and Reconstruction Works ... ... ... ... 59 9 Developmental Roads Fund—Summary of Expenditure on Construction and Reconstruction Works ... ... ... ... ... ... 67 10 County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund—Expenditure during the Year 1949-50 on the Maintenance and Minor Improvement of Main Roads, Bridges and Ferries 71 11 Country Main Roads Fund—Expenditure during the Year 1949-50 on the Maintenance and Minor Improvement of Main Roads, Bridges and Ferries ... 74 12 Proclamation of Main Roads, 1949-50 ... ... ... 83 13 Secondary Roads, 1949-50 84 14 Proclamation of Developmental Roads, 1949-50 84 15 Proclamation of Developmental Works, 1949-50 ... ... 85 16 Length of Proclaimed Roads in New South Wales 86 17 Length and Percentage of Main and Secondary Roads Maintained by the Department and Councils in the Eastern and Central Divisions of the State as at 30th June, 1950 86 18 Expenditure on Main and Secondary Roads by the Department of Main Roidfi and Contributions by Councils from 1925-26 to 1949-50 ... 87 DEPARTMENT OF MAIN ROADS, N.S.W. TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT FOR PERIOD ENDED 30TH JUNE, 1950. The Honourable the Minister for Transport, Sydney. In accordance with the provisions of Section 6 of the Main Roads Act, 1924-50, I have the honour to submit the Twenty-fifth Annual Report for presentation to Parliament. The report covers the period from 1st July, 1949, to 30th June, 1950, though a few matters referred to are carried beyond the latter date for convenience and completeness of record. MINISTER. The Honourable M. O'Sullivan, M.L.A., Minister for Transport, was in charge of the administration of the Main Roads Act from the 1st July, 1949, to the 29th June, 1950, when he was succeeded by the Honourable W. F, Sheahan, LL.B., M.L.A., Minister for Transport. LEGISLATION. The Main Roads (Finances Adjustment) Act, 1949, assented to on 11th November, 1949, authorised the transfer of £500,000 from the County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund to the credit of the Country Main Roads Fund as a temporary loan. The Main Roads and Transport (Amendment) Act, 1950, was assented to on 3rd May, 1950. This Act vests in the Commissioner for Main Roads the necessary powers to:— (a) Carry out works at the request of any Department of the Government of the Commonwealth or of the State or of any body corporate constituted by any sjfcatute of the Common­ wealth or the State, subject to such Department or body corporate paying the cost the^of. 2 (b) Construct or provide on land acquired under the provisions of the Main Eoads Act, buildings for the accommodation of officers and employees and of persons whose residences or places of business have been or will be demolished or substan­ tially altered by the carrying out of any works in connection with the construction or maintenance of roads under the Main Eoads Act. (c) Enter into agreements with the proper authorities in any Territory of the Commonwealth of Australia or State adjoin­ ing New South Wales for the construction, reconstruction, maintenance and repair of roads, bridges and ferries at the boundaries of New South Wales and such Territory or other State. The Transport and Highways Act, 1950, was assented to on 26th April, 1950. This Act makes provision for securing and providing an efficient and properly integrated system of public transport by rail, road, air, sea and inland waterway within the State. The Act constitutes the New South Wales Transport and Highways Commission and vests in the Commission the power to control and direct the Commissioner for Railways, the Commissioner for Road Transport and Tramways, and the Commissioner for Main Roads, in the exercise of any of their or its powers, authorities, duties and functions, and the Maritime Services Board so far as matters relating to the transporta­ tion of passengers and goods by sea and inland waterway are concerned. The Commission consists of eight members, comprising the Director of Transport and Highways, appointed under the Act, a representative of the employees engaged in the transport industry, a representative of rural industry, a person representing trade and commerce, the President of the Maritime Services Board and the Commissioners for Railways, Road Transport and Tramways, and Main Roads. SECTION I—FINANCE. RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS. The principal revenues of the Department are derived from the proceeds of taxation on motor vehicles and on petrol levied by the State and Commonwealth Governments respectively. The Department's receipts from motor vehicle taxation increased by £229,884 or 9.3 per cent, from £2,476,533 in 1948-49 to £2,706,417 in 1949-50. The increase is attributable to the greater number of registered motor vehicles within the State. Petrol taxation received by the Department amounted to £1,384,020 in 1948-49, and £1,650,239 in 1949-50, the increase in 1949-50 being £266,219 or 19.2 per cent. The amount received in this case is based on the volume of petrol consumed, and the rise in 1949-50 is accounted for by the greater number of vehicles in operation and by the lifting of restrictions on the use of petrol during the course of the year. 3 An amount of £500,000, being portion of the cash balance held in the County of Cumberland Main Roads Fund and not required for immediate expenditure or works within the County of Cumberland, was transferred to the Country Main Roads Fund during 1949-50. This was authorised by Legislative action for the purpose of financing necessary works in the country area of the State and the amount