Road Tunnel Plans

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28630, 5 July 1958, Page 12

Road Tunnel Plans

Progress on the Lyttelton road tunnel plans continues to be excellent At its meeting on Thursday, the Road- Tunnel Authority approved plans for the Lyttelton outlet; and the chairman (Mr W. S. Mac Gibbon) was able to report exemplary co-operation by the Lyttelton Borough Council. The manner in which considerable difficulties have been surmounted in planning a vital, if relatively small part of the project is a tribute to the negotiators of the agreement and the authority’s consultant engineers (the Ministry of Works). By shifting the centre line of the tunnel approach from Lyttelton 50 feet from that originally proposed, the engineers have overcome the problem of giving the new roadway a reasonable gradient, in spite of the steep and rugged terrain across which the road will run. As Mr Mac Gibbon has recalled, the «

problem had hitherto daunted jven the redoubtable Mr Semple. Indications are that the authority’s plans will facilitate safe, convenient access to' the tunnel from the port, and that the provisions made should be adequate for many years’ needs. The authority has yet to .complete its proposals for the Heathcote approach, and to approve final plans for the entire project before tenders can be called. However, in its year’s existence, the authority has achieved outstanding results, creating a sound basis for the earliest possible completion of the tunnel project If, as it is hoped, tenders are called towards the end of this year, the authority will have set a notable example of how good

organisation, readiness to compromise on details, and co-operation among local bodies can expedite a nationally important undertaking.