Snow strands cars on alpine passes

Press, 3 September 1977, Page 1

Snow strands cars on alpine passes

Heavy snowfalls in the Southern Alps have stranded motorists trving to cross the Lewis Pass and Arthur’s Pass.

Graders worked to clear both passes yesterday but this did not prevent cars sliding off the roads and jack-knifing with caravans. Chains were needed and will be essential today as well.

About 50cm of snow had fallen at the Lewis Pass last evening and it was still snowing heavily when the grtder stopped work for the night about 7.30 p.m.

Dozens of motorists who could not negotiate the pass sought accommodation in Springs Junction and Maruia. and the Lewis Pass Motor Inn was overflowing. “We will have 30 people, including children, sleeping on the floor of the lounge, and 30 people in the beds.” said the manager (Mr E. Manera) early last evening. “There are cars still coming through, and we are expecting more people than this.” He said there was a lot

of holiday traffic on the road yesterday, and many cars with caravans had jack-knifed. Other cars slid off the road, leaving the occupants with a long cold wait before tow trucks arrived. The situation was much the same at Arthur’s Pass where snow was falling so thickly that visibility was at times down to a few metres. Graders were working between Cass and Arthur’s Pass all day but managed to keep only one lane clear.

A Ministry of Works employee. Mr ,T. Hoani, said the snow was falling so heavily that bv the time the grader had done the round trip from the Waimakariri bridge to Arthur’s Pass and return the cleared road had filled in with snow. About 12cm of snow had fallen at Paddys Bend and about 30cm at Arthur’s Pass township. "We told cars without

chains not to go through, but they ignored our warning and got stuck,” said Mr Hoani. “We pulled a few of them out, but after we knocked off they had to abandon their cars."

Little snow had fallen east of Cass, and none of it had settled on the road Many of the motorists sought accommodation at the township. One person staying at the Alpine Motels knew of cars getting stuck because their chains broke. Another car shattered its differential trying to push through the snow.

No snow had fallen in the Rangitata River valley yesterday, said the owner of Erewhon station, Mr A A. Urauart. “W have had beautiful weather all day.” Lambing has not yet started in the high country, and farmers telephoned reported no damage caused by the snow.