QUEEN-STREET SUBWAYS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 262, 9 November 1906, Page 3

QUEEN-STREET SUBWAYS.

CITY EKGINT-EP.S REPOPvT. Tho city engineer last evening submitted to the- Auckland City Council the following report on the question or establishing subways for sewers, gas, water, electric light, and telephone wires was referred to the Streets C-ommittee.

I have given the question of the practicability of constructing a subway for Queeu-srr.t-t my caietul consideration, and 1 ajrpend herewith a sketch snowing one method I.v which ail pipes and cables could be got at witriout ueetesarily breaking rue surface rf the street. it would luvoive thf construction '<f a subway under each footway, tne shifting of tho water umin Dy s.me two fte: or three teet tlirouguo.t Its leugta, a_d the paving of the pains with coueiete _lab paving. The cost of the subway, compb'te, including excavation feet dt ep, concrete walls, and reinforced concrete deck on floor .lab, but excluding cost of iaying sewers ami connections thereto, altering water maiu. telegraph wires, or remainder of concrete paving, would be £3 lo '"' £4 per running vara, or a total for Queen-street of iron. £5000 to £_.JO. The other coueiete paving would ccet about 12/6 to 13/ per yard run of footpath, or. _ay, £1000. but I cannot, without further data, estimate what the cost of altering the water mains, etc., constructing sewer., aud relaying telegraph cables wouldd be. Practically the cost of the subway would be about £-5000, the other expenditure likely to be incurred being for paving purposes and construction of collecting sewer. It will be necessary iv connection with the a.-..- sewerage s.neme to coustruct collecting .ewers on each side of Queen-street to take the drainage of the premises abutting thereon, and when that work is being dune it would be a good "pporruniiy t.. put la th° subway. As far as the water aud gas mains are concerned. I do not think there Is likely to be much alteration of the mains or services required necessitating the ptcvi.irn of subway, loir when such did become necessary I he subway would of course very useful. It will probably he difficult to obtain the Government's cot.sent to put their telephone and telegraph cables underground, but undoubtedly this would he r.ue> of the greatest gains to he obtained by the .nbway, a. far as Queeu-street is concerned. If the Council d'-sire to entertain proposal to construct su .ways, it would be advisable t,-. have a conference with the Government Telegraphs Kngineer, and engineer to the Gas Company, to see if the necessary arrangements can be come to.

Mr 11. M. Smeeton remarked that steps were already being taken in Wellington to lay the telephone wires underground, a start being made with the most congested areas first. The report was referred to the streets committee.