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Raising Commercial Dock Road.— The existing road between the iron bridge and the
junction with the new bridge previously mentioned as over the Greenland-Russia passage will be
raised at its greatest depth about 10 feet, so that the roadway between the two bridges will be
quite level, but whilst the new road from the Lower Road to the new bridge will be 40 feet wide,
it is proposed to maintain the present width, which varies from 25 to 26 feet, between the new
bridge and the existing bridge. If the raising of an existing road 10 feet does not under the
Act, make it a new road, or if the Company's obligations do not require them to increase it to
the width of new roads, I think it will be a great pity if it is allowed to be reconstructed to its
present width, and an effort not made to increase it so as to be the same as the remainder of the
new road and in conformity with all new streets in the Metropolis.
If this were done, Commercial Dock Road and Rotherhithe Street, extending from Lower
Road to Trinity Wharf, would possess a good wide road except for a length of about 110 yards
extending from Lady Dock Bridge to Elgar Street, which could easily be widened at some future
convenient time.
Temporary Road.—To enable the Company to raise the existing Commercial Dock Road, it
will be necessary to construct a temporary road for the accommodation of the traffic while the work
is in progress. This the Company propose to do within the present dock premises upon the north
side of the existing road. This is shown to be 26 feet wide, equal to the existing road-way,
but no information is given as to its construction, whether it will be pitched or macadamised,
which should be settled, as also the width of the footpaths and the question of repairs, liability
for accidents, scavenging, lighting, etc., as in the case of the other road, by agreement between
the Company and the Vestry.
Cross Section of Constructions.—The section of the roadway shown upon the plan is the
same as approved by the Vestry for New Road No. 2, but as this road for the greater portion of
its length will have no longitudinal fall, the cross fall of the footways where the roadway is level
should be increased to 3 inches, and the depth of the channel, except between Lower Road and
the Swing Bridge crossing the Canada-Greenland passage, must not be uniform with the kerb,
but vary so as to provide a fall for the road water to reach the gullies, say from 3 inches
at the crown to 6 inches at the gullies.
Specification.—At my request, the Engineer has forwarded through the resident Engineer,
a draft of the specification for the construction of the road, in which are embodied several points