Newspaper Article 1966 – Stoney Creek sector open to traffic

Stoney Creek sector open to traffic

 The 2½-miles Stoney Creek deviation on the Napier-Taupo highway was opened to traffic today.

The project, which cost almost £160,000, eliminates some of the worst grades on the highway and will be of special benefit to heavy traffic and vehicles towing caravans.

Started towards the end of last year, work on the deviation has been dogged by bad weather.

There were two phases to the deviation. Downer and Co. carried out a formation contract at the Napier end, while the Ministry of Works effected improvements between this point and the Tarawera mill site.

Some of the sealing has been done by Emoleum Ltd. (Rotorua) and some by the Ministry of Works.

Only a short distance was still unsealed when the first traffic rolled over the deviation today. It will definitely be sealed before Christmas.

The Ministry of Works resident engineer at Napier, Mr R.D. Grant, has appealed for drivers to obey the speed restrictions over the deviation.

With the completion of Stoney Creek, the final major project on the highway is the Runanga deviation.