THE TUNNEL ROAD.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16701, 9 December 1919, Page 9

THE TUNNEL ROAD.

AUSTRALIAN FIRM'S ESTIMATE

A Tr.(-t.y.~ -M ihr T.rttclton-Chnjt-rh'irch Tunnel Roml ComnjiMrP *a> h»>lri vp-wr'.l.iv .litrrnoon. Mr .T. R-If.iw.-.rtl prf>-iriing. [j,,. , hr-i-Tn.in. niter n brirf cspatiaon tkf mrrirs of tiir tunnol road, tiii' t.hr ha<l bfon rallod ; : i K< ;ir trif* (jf Air Richrli(i nstruction cnyinc-ei". nn'J Ml- ILmt Mann. ..-ivrotary to tho ?mith. 'I'iii.ii -. :iihl Kuhiian j.inv • ; Rirhmond i 1 Minn 11(1 por-":i:iliv ir.?prctpri the V.'.'i i iiiin'l ro .1 Site, ■would i -1 r : tl.nr "t tho hcm« «i N| : - llionni'iii'! that his firm nn- ., th it ro;i'l ronstruotion was 'no ... *. i C |,r<>l(l< in, and « or<; concentrating ui/>n ih- ideal ro:i-] for tho future, i Toil'"ii tho tunni'l ro:;d srliMno, .Mr <7r i--:id -aid that lii-i lirm, it it i. ok r n:i, would pot throupli tho work i.; r.'v.-':u-s. Tho road and tunnel i:,",... tij.oiilcd to liim partiotilnrly m •i ,i. mill -II h a road, it would bo posftho aotual annual cxt.'iidituf" for upkeep. After an int(;«• yif.% lio h;ul worked out ),. ( .. 1 -nl 111f• n■? on a basis of a tunno! I n i rh.nn.* 1-ins, 40 foot wide, v .iii -i i onori't*- trnolv of 18 foot, tho tmnic! t/> havo n of ilO fort. Tlio i vav iimK would wt about £400,000, tli",- litiiu';. ciilctilatvd on iibout onotl ird n tlio would mean alwiut i id i;o>'i i'io aotunl laying of tho road Troin tin' I.ytt.olton to tho Chn-jt/'huroh r.nlv.'iy •-tation?, ft"" which purpose tho w • *>t,■ iii ide of the railway awny from «1,,- tr:im.\.iv lino would l»o prf"toraV»lc, w'.uld l/o about JWO.OOO. marndamisinß v.ould on't about £10,000. and a double u.ir!; t.raniwav would inrolvn another '■7'i.000. AVith lighting and various extra?, Mr Piohtnond estimated that the ti'nnol could bo carried through at •i co-t "f £700.000. If tho tramways wore <'|in;inatod tlic c-ost would Iwj » 7(i 00i» I' --. lie incidentally remarked uiioii lii- willincncjs to finance the s.'licm.i, if it reurived tho contract. in nusxvcr to a f|urstion # Mr 1%-ioh-jnond said that two peparato tnnnels. for outward, and ono for inward traffic, mif-dit oust about £20,000 or lops than his estimate for tno Flis eAtimate, he added, ind. ot niur-e, b"en based on the prehrnt prico of labour, though nobody knew what that would Ix; in twelve months' time. . •Hi.' chairman: I wish wo could sign thi< contract this afternoon, gentlemen. Voiotw: I, too. In answer to another auestion, Mr Rirhmonrl said he had allowed for the erection of about 130 big elcctric lamps throughout, the tunnel. The chairman spoke of thn value of Invin" such expert information before the mooting, and suggested tliat a Tunnpl T/onguo or Kxocuti^o should be formed, with jowor to act. He fiucKe3ted that, with a view to having tho ro.id scheme adopted by tho —various bodies interested, conferences should be hold with the Chamber of Commerce, the Progress League, the C'itv Council, etc. Onco tho scheme were adopted, hnlf tho work would be over. _ , , ~ Mr TI. Cf. Ell, M.P., urped that the slioulrl not b® Ipffc in the hands of a body with hnlf-a-dozon other projects in hand, as tho Progress League hud. He hoj)ed that the matter would , not be allowed to pass awny from the l£ committee, and ho ronaidered that the p l,vttelton Harbour Hoard would be the uroper body to take the matter in hand. It wis decided that the coromitteo should form it?elf into "the Christ-church-Lyttclton Tunnel Rood League." Vwious members expressed their ap■prwiation of the scheme pnt forward by Mr Richmond, and urged its adoptinn. It wa.e decided that a meeting of all interested in tho matter should bo held on Friday afternoon next. In moving a vote of thanks to Mr Richmond, the chairman expressed his gratified surprise at the low cost of the proposed scheme, and assured Mr Richmond that his firm would bo communicated with as soon as something dofinite was decided upon.