Porter’s Pass Other Roads

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28958, 28 July 1959, Page 14

Porter’s Pass Other Roads

Although the stormy conditions of the last few days continued yesterday, with surface flooding and minor slips on roads in some areas, only Porter’s Pass, where snow was still falling yesterday afternoon, was impassable to traffic.

A bulldozer, pushing aside heavy five-feet deep snowdrifts, and two graders forced a path over the lop of Porter's Pass and round Lake Lyndon to Broken river early yesterday, to let through 18 cars belonging to ski club members which had been unable to make their way out on Sunday evening. Some cars went back and over Arthur's Pass, and along the West Coast to the Lewis Pass to return to Christchurch rather than wait until the road could be cleared.

The bulldozer cut a path of about a car's width, but although the two graders went over the cleared area again on their way back to their headquarters late yesterday afternoon snow was still falling at the time. An Automobile Association (Canterbury) officer said he expected no overnight improvement, and the road was virtually impassable to all motor vehicles, even those carrying chains.

Arthur's Pass is open to traffic, and heavy rain in the Lewis Pass region caused a rapid thawing of the snow and frozen road surface. Although the creeks and watercourses are swollen by rain, and there is much surface water, the road was st-il] open last evening. Surface Flooding Surface flooding of roads was common in Marlborough, and there were several minor slips between Parnassus and Oaro. although none completely blocked the road. They were cleared away quickly by Ministry of Works equipment. Flooding occurred between Domett and Kaikoura, and the highway outside the Kaikoura golf course was covered with water to a depth of nine inches.

In North Canterbury the approach Io the top Ashley road bridge was washed out, but early last evening this was the only bridge reported to be affected. The upper Ashley was swollen by the heavy rain and snow which had been washed off the hills. By 9 a.m. yesterday 4.34 in of rain had been recorded at Lees Valley since the rain started falling on Friday.

On the plains pools of surface water lay in paddocks in numerous districts and gradually grew as the rain continued. At Lees Valley also there were shallow lakes of surface water on much farm land.

In the Cust district, the school bus was reported not to be able to run to Summer Hill because the Cust river had run over the road. A total of 3.75 in of rain had fallen at Cust.

Heavy rains have been experienced in the Cheviot and Parnassus areas, nearly sin being recorded at Parnassus from early Sunday until last evening. An area of 250 acres of land near the Cheviot township, adjacent to the main road, was covered in three feet of water, with fences completely submerged. Weather in City Heavy rain driven by a strong easterly wind continued in Christchurch yesterday, with ,37in being recorded between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m More than one inch and a half of rain has fallen since the stormy conditions began and the maximum temperatures since