ARTHURS PASS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 310, 30 December 1915, Page 4

ARTHURS PASS.

PROGRESS OF BIG TTONEL TWO YEAES' MORE WORK, (Special to "Star") WELLINGTON, Wednesday.' A little over a mile and a-lialf of tie five-mile tunnel througK the Southern' Alps, at Arthur's Pass, remains to V: completed, and the- engineers Ibeliw that the long undertaking, can be $j. I ished in about two yeare. Accordusg to the original contract with Messr* McLean and Co., the tunnel was to hwl. been handed over to ready for use in February," ISHJJ,- hoi; tj«, contractors were ppliged ; :to throw fl?« the work, and it has since keen carried on successfully by the ~ Public Work? Department, under the direction tf.tSw. Chief Engineer, Mr. K. W. Holmes.; There is a constant shortage., of skilled labour for the two drives which «c being made from eacrh end, and cpnsfr, quently it is impossible' to Work tkr» shifts. The process is to drive > top, and bottom heading, follow these up by; "breaking out" to the full size, andth« complete toy lining with concrete. - Up to date, two and a-half td the Otira end havn been and the advanced headings driven a fur- • ther 24 chains. At the Bealey end, a~] little under a mile 'has been finished, and the 'headings driven a fnriier seven chains. The ground at both faces ' is now hard, and favourable for. wort •'.. ing, the trouble with broken «tnt» having been passed. If the big work could have been torn , pleted for the original contract prieeii : would have cost £599,000, .but ti»: ; amount is going to be greatly exceeded, J though the advantages of an easy route '.; ibetweeh east and west coasts of tie; j South Island will outweigh ih'e I»TJ[. ; capital expenditure. . . - : - ' ;