Tunnel Blasting: Residents Asked To Be Patient

Press, Volume C, Issue 29557, 5 July 1961, Page 17

Tunnel Blasting: Residents Asked To Be Patient

The Christchurch-Lyttelton road tunnel contractors ask Heathcote residents to be patient about blasting, which has recently begun at that portal. Once the tunnellers get inside the mountain in a few weeks, the noise should be less, they say. Mrs P. A. Deavoll. of 18 Station road, Heathcote, had complained to ‘The Press” about domestic upsets caused by recent night blasting. “I am writing to protest against the blasting that is being carried out on the road tunnel project,” she said. “Every night this starts about 9 o’clock, and is carried on at intervals during the night "Why is this not done during the day?” Mrs Deavoll asked. “Elderly people in poor health (some of them alone) and children are terrified. Mothers are complaining bitterly, and are very concerned that children wake up screaming and cannot be pacified .

“I understand that blasting is necessary, but can the authorities explain why •it is done at night and not during the day, when the effect would not be so detrimental,” said Mrr Deavoll. ’The concussion can be felt on the other side of the valley and. if the authorities doubt all this. I invite them to come

and hear for themselves. Then they might have some consideration for Heathcote residents.” The following statement in reply to this complaint was made by Mr J. G. Smith, project manager for the FletcherKaiser group:— “We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused by recent blasting at night, but regret that .toe residents will have to accept the fact that tunnelling in rock cannot be undertaken without blasting and subsequent noise. "Tunnelling is a continuous operation. The rock is drilled, the explosive loaded into toe face, the shot exploded and the broken rock removed. The whole operation is then repeated. Depending entirely on how long each operation takes, it is impossible to predict when it becomes necessary to fire the charge. “Actually during the last few days shots have been fired both on day and swing shift (up to 1 a.m.). The frosty still night® probably carry the sound a further distance than during the day I “As blasting is taking place right at the mouth of the tunnel he noise is far higher than it will be once the tunnel proper is pushed into the hill, and we can only ask the people to be patient with us for the next few weeks."