Slip cuts road, railway on Coast

Press, 25 July 1984, Page 2

Slip cuts road, railway on Coast

Greymouth reporter Slumping of State highway 7 at Omoto Hill, 3km north-east of Greymouth, continued yesterday and engineers expected that the highway and the adjacent railway line would remain closed until the movement stops, and stabilises. The slip, which has been dormant for years, has normally moved about 30 centimetres a year, but has moved 90cm in the last fortnight. On Monday, the movement began accelerating, causing “steps” in the highway as the hillside pushed the seal outwards and the railway line became distorted. Engineers and workmen of both the Ministry of Works and Development and the Railways Corporation began remedial work, but the force of the hillside, which is on what is termed a “greasy-back,” accelerated to 150 cm an hour through the night, and the highway was closed. A Christchurch spokesman for the Railways Corporation said that the closing of the line to the West Coast had caused little inconvenience. Railway passengers were finishing their journey by bus and all perishable goods that usually travelled on the line were being taken by road, he said.

The line is expected to open at noon today.