OTIRA TUNNEL.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17414, 27 March 1922, Page 6

OTIRA TUNNEL.

WORK PROCEEDING SATISFACTORILY.

MINISTEE'S VISIT OF INSPECTIO .

\fter paving a visit of inspection to the Arthur's Pass tunnel the Hon. J. G. Coates. Minister of Public, Works, arrived in town by motor car o*n Saturday afternoon. The Minister gave a representative of "The Press" someparticulars as to the progress of the work being done by the Department, and also of the electncab installation being done under contract. • Bearding tho question or nrst im-portance-when the line through the tunnel will be open for traffic—the Minister reiterated the statement ho mado at Groymouth earlier on his prosent tour: that he hoped that it would bo m operation by the end of tho present year. "I don't anticipate any alteration, Mr Coates added. "TJiore is nothing to stop it." Tho contractors for the electrical installation, upon the completion of their contract, have to run tho tunnel line for twelve months, or until such time as the Department s officers are satisfied that, all is right. The rails have been laid through the tunnel, but tho ballasting is not yet completed: with tho exception of one mile and a half at one end and one mile at tho other, the first lift has been completed and the uncompleted portions should bo finished by tho end of nef t month. When the second lift has been done the Department's part of tho work will be completed. Generally, the Minister's opinion was that everything was going on satisfactorily. As to tho work of the contractors in connexion with tho installation of deotricitv to operate the trams througn the tunnel, Mr Contos slid that tho power house was ready to navo the, root put on. The system of electric lighting for the tunnel, nnd the placing m position of the cable racks wore iibout finished.