HUTT DUPLICATION WORKS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 594, 24 August 1909, Page 5

HUTT DUPLICATION WORKS.

I PROSPECTS OF COMPLETION. ' About 220 men are now busy on tho Putt railway duplication works, including those employed at tho Fcncarrow and l'ackakauki quarries. The staff of workers Jias bce|i as many as 360 in the-past, but the dqublo liiics are now approaching Wellington, and it is stated that tho remaining field of operations is not large enough to accommodate such a uumbor. Tho formation, of ; the new 60ft. road engages most of the labour at present. About 2J miles of the road arc completed for the full width, and for, half a mile ou tho south side of Ngahauranga tho road is formed for half, its breadth,', a gap of some fifteen chains separating thjs section • from tho completed northern portion. Thn cngtoecr in charge of tho work (Mr. Leo) told a ojiinion representative, who paid a visit of inspection yesterday, that the road bo finished ito Ngahauranga in three months, and to tho Kaiwarra Hotel by the end' of March Only one gang of men is at present omploycd on tho-duplication works, which can only, be completed as, a further strip of land is reclaimed from the harbour between Kaiwarra and thc.Thorndon csplnnado. A rough sca-wal), which marks tho boundary of this strip, has boon already coilstmcled, but at present the sea laps over it and between its (.tones, and it lcquiros to he built -Up and consolidated boforo it will have any, value as a barrier. The area to bo 'colaimed within this wall comprises a narrow strip of sea towards Kaiwarra, and one fairly broad bay at tho Thorndon end. Tho water is shallow, -tho greatest depth being "from six lo seven feet at iwv water, and no special difficulty is expected in the work of reclamation. A lnrge hillside just boyond Kaiwarra is to bo attacked immediately for spoil, and it is expected that tho reclamation will be completed by tho uid of April next, when the conclusion of the duplication work should also bo seen. Already tho train journey from Lower Hutt to Wellington has been shortened by about five minutes as tho result of the "straightening" ■of tho line thus far offootcd, and it is expected that- with the completion of tho work a further reduction in lime will follow. At thn present time, tho supplies of metal nro said to be good, nnd all tho conditions of work satisfactory, cNeopt that the Post and Telegraph Department .is" alleged lo havo ciused considerable inconvenience and delay by its slowness in removing 9crtam, ttleg'rpph posts. .