CONTRACTOR’S PROBLEM

Press, Volume C, Issue 29634, 3 October 1961, Page 18

CONTRACTOR’S PROBLEM

Suitable Route To Obau

"The Press" Strvica OAMARU, October 2.

Mr W. H. Buteon. a contractor at Benmore. has a problem on Me bends. ft is to find a route for two 27toa scraper loaders which are required at Obau. The main highway is “out” because of a weight restriction on the Henley bridge. The Pigroot is impassable because at soft patches, and the Uadis Paas is thought to be too tortuous. The scrapers, lift Bin wide and 41ft Min long, capable of carnrtng a load of ft cubic yards, are sitting ait Oamaru until the problem can be solved.

They were taken to Benmore for toe machinery display. Mr Button surveyed the Lindis Pass to find out if his machinery could turn some of the tricky corners. When through the »»», however, he will have another problem on his hands. There is a portion of the route where heavy machinery is required to leave toe road, and according to local information Mr Buteon doubts if he can cross this stretch. He did so with a buildoxer some time ago and found toe going tricky. With a much larger machine it could be

impossible. Similarly, on the Pigroot there is a section where heavy machinery is required to go through a farmer?’ property to circumvent narrow bridges. The ground Is frozen hard in the winter and baked tinder dry in the summer, but at this period of toe year it is too soft to carry massive machinery such as the scrapers which have weights of nine tons on each tyre.

Larger machines have used this route in the past There

has been nothing quite as big as the loaders over the Lindis, and heavy falls of snow will add to the difficulty. '