Follow the Cromwell 'Gorge to Clyde and Alexandra

Press, 16 July 1980, Page 28

Follow the Cromwell 'Gorge to Clyde and Alexandra

Visitors.- to. .Cromwell;?; should'allow-time to 3 low? the ' Clutha ddwri.stream through the pictu-. . resque Cromwell Gorge to; Clyde and - Alexandra, a ? journey that can be cov-.■ ered comfortably, inhalf, an hour. ■> • Clyde is the site for the ; first dam and power station of the massive Clutha Valley hydrd-electric development ; Progress work can be seen from, a lookout point oh the main highway about 2km from the town. ■.', ' r

The Clyde..: • station, which should'be producing electricity by 1988, will include the biggest concrete dam in New Zealand. It will be; 64 metres high from tailwater level to Crest, 520 metres across the crest, .and will contain about;, one million cubic metres of concrete. 1 .

Before major construction can begin on the dam and power house, the Clutha River has to be diverted and it is work on this particular stage of the • project that can be seen from the main highway today. The diversion channel which is being cut on the opposite . side. of. the river is expected to be finished about the middle of /next year. < ’ C - When the channel is ready, temporary coffer dams will be pushed into the river to divert the water from the area where the dam and powerhouse will be built. activities at Clyde will reach a peak in the middle of 1985 when an estimated. 650 men will be on the job.

Alexandra is only a short five-minute drive from Clyde. The town also has a direct air link' with Dunedin and Queenstown provided daily by Mount Cook Airlines.