this is my time on score

Making a Road by Andrew Gunn

 Making a Road by Andrew Gunn

There are over ninety thousand kilometres

of roads in New Zealand. Have you ever

wondered how they are made?

There are many reasons for

building a road. Maybe the

nearby roads are overcrowded

and unsafe with too many vehicles

on them. Maybe a new area

of housing is being developed.

People will need a road to

get to and from the new houses. Before any

new road is made, planners investigate to see

if the road is needed.

The planners also think about the type of road

that should be built. Who is likely to use the road?

How many lanes will it need? Where will it join with

other roads? Will it have to cross any rivers? Will it

have to go over hills?

Checking the plan

The planners draw a map showing where the road could

go. Then they use newspapers, brochures, and the

Internet to let people know that a new road is planned.

Sometimes the planners and the engineers (who will

design the road) hold public meetings to explain their

ideas. People who live nearby and who might use the

new road have a chance to look at the map of the road

and say what they think about it. Sometimes the people

notice problems that the planners and engineers haven’t

thought about. After the planners and engineers have

listened to what people say, they sometimes make

changes to the design of the road. Then it’s time to start

road building.

When the route has been cleared, the road can

be laid down. A road is made of several layers.

The first is gravel.

smooth the gravel, and then rollers go back and

forth to pack it down so that the surface will be hard.

The gravel helps to make the road strong so that

when cars and trucks travel over the finished road,

the road surface is not damaged.

Most New Zealand roads are covered in chip seal.

To make chip seal, bitumen (a black, sticky mixture)

is sprayed on the road. Then crushed stones called

chips are spread over the bitumen. Rollers push the

chips into the bitumen, which acts like a glue to keep

the chips in place.

Finishing the road

When the road surface is completed,

it still needs to be made safe and

easy to drive on. Traffic lights, signs,

lane markings, and arrows all help

to control traffic and show drivers

where to go. A rumble strip makes

a sound when wheels roll over it to

alert drivers that they are straying

off the road. At night, studs in the

road reflect car headlights to help

drivers see the road lanes.

Making a Road by Andrew Gunn

There are over ninety thousand kilometres

of roads in New Zealand. Have you ever

wondered how they are made?

There are many reasons for

building a road. Maybe the

nearby roads are overcrowded

and unsafe with too many vehicles

on them. Maybe a new area

of housing is being developed.

People will need a road to

get to and from the new houses. Before any

new road is made, planners investigate to see

if the road is needed.

The planners also think about the type of road

that should be built. Who is likely to use the road?

How many lanes will it need? Where will it join with

other roads? Will it have to cross any rivers? Will it

have to go over hills?

Checking the plan

The planners draw a map showing where the road could

go. Then they use newspapers, brochures, and the

Internet to let people know that a new road is planned.

Sometimes the planners and the engineers (who will

design the road) hold public meetings to explain their

ideas. People who live nearby and who might use the

new road have a chance to look at the map of the road

and say what they think about it. Sometimes the people

notice problems that the planners and engineers haven’t

thought about. After the planners and engineers have

listened to what people say, they sometimes make

changes to the design of the road. Then it’s time to start

road building.

When the route has been cleared, the road can

be laid down. A road is made of several layers.

The first is gravel.

smooth the gravel, and then rollers go back and

forth to pack it down so that the surface will be hard.

The gravel helps to make the road strong so that

when cars and trucks travel over the finished road,

the road surface is not damaged.

Most New Zealand roads are covered in chip seal.

To make chip seal, bitumen (a black, sticky mixture)

is sprayed on the road. Then crushed stones called

chips are spread over the bitumen. Rollers push the

chips into the bitumen, which acts like a glue to keep

the chips in place.

Finishing the road

When the road surface is completed,

it still needs to be made safe and

easy to drive on. Traffic lights, signs,

lane markings, and arrows all help

to control traffic and show drivers

where to go. A rumble strip makes

a sound when wheels roll over it to

alert drivers that they are straying

off the road. At night, studs in the

road reflect car headlights to help

drivers see the road lanes.

Making a Road quiz time!

Make a copy first.

Making a Road - find the answers in the text

1. What are two possible reasons for making a road?

There are many reasons for building a road. Maybe the nearby roads are overcrowded and unsafe with too many vehicles on them. Maybe a new area.

2. What do planners need to think about when making a new road? The Planners also think about the type of road that should be built.   

3. How do planners let people a new road is planned? So that the people can drive on the new road to drive where they can travel everywhere.

4. What are heavy rollers used for? To smooth the stones and make half of the road smooth.

5. What are bulldozers and excavators used for? To clear the route.

6. Describe how the surface of the road is shaped? They are smoother and more harder than roads chip seals surfaced.

7. Why is the surface of the road shaped this way? because they can make the make the road look better.

8. What is the difference between roads with hot mix surfaces and roads with chip seal surfaces? To make the road smoother and harder so that they can’t come off or break off inso the people that make the road has to start over again.

9. Describe how life would be for us in Glen Innes if we had no roads. If we don’t have roads we can walk instead driving around or traveling. If we can’t walk that long we might have to ask on of the people that makes the roads they can make it.

10.  Publish your answers here on your blog!