Magical yards to Cairo

Press, 19 May 1981, Page 32

Magical yards to Cairo

One million cubic yards of concrete batched at the Johnson Batching Plant on the Upper Waitaki Power Development would build a garden footpath from Twizel across the world to Cairo.

Of course, the concrete produced at Twizel has all

been poured into constructing the Upper Waitaki Power Development — one of the largest hydro schemes of its type in the world.

It is estimated that when the Upper Waitaki is finally completed in the mid-1980s, 1,160,000 cubic yards of concrete will have been produced.

Consequently, the. one millionth cubic yard which will be reached on May 19 is seen as a major milestone. It represents over two million tons of concrete, and .is responsible for the travelling of two million miles by the fleet of ten agitator trucks which service the construction sites.

The magical yard will ceremoniously be picked from a heap of gravel in the pits south of Twizel, trucked to the Batcher, processed then taken out and laid to rest at the Ohau B power station site. Doing the honours will be television personality Rodney, Bryant.

Celebration for the occasion will take place during the week-end out of working hours, and will be marked with a dine and dance for Batcher workers and those associated with the plant.