SEWER ACROSS SOUTH ROAD

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28980, 22 August 1959, Page 12

SEWER ACROSS SOUTH ROAD

Engineers Begin

Work

Preliminary work on the new highway system at the junction of the Main South and. Blenheim roads at Sockburn is being taken a stage further this week-end. Today soon after midnight, Ministry of Works engineers began excavating a trerich to carry a main sewer line across the road.

The job is being done for the Christchurch Drainage Board, which will reimburse the Crown for the cost.

This arrangement has been made so that the contractor working on the southern relief extension sewer will not be required to tear up the newlyfinished approach highway to the traffic over-bridge when he reaches the Main South road. The Ministry of Works has undertaken responsibility for engineering 21 chains of the sewer from the Alloy Steel building across to what will be the Racecourse road deviation and into Racecourse road proper.

Twelve men with two machines —an excavator and a clamshellare on the job. Work on the scheme has been in progress for several weeks, and this week-end has been chosen to move across the road to avoid week-day traffic and the influx of test match traffic expected next week-end. Work is scheduled to continue throughout today excavating, placing the pipe, and pouring concrete. After allowing up to 16 hours for the concrete to cure timber will be withdrawn tomorrow and backfilling completed. Traffic will be able to pass by during the work, but Transport Department officers will be on duty to see that a temporary speed restriction is observed and that operations are not interfered with.