MUCH WORK AHEAD

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 174, 11 April 1923, Page 8

MUCH WORK AHEAD

TRAMWAY EXTENSION programme for present YEAR DEVELOPMENTS IN VIEW For a good many years—nearly ten, as a matter of fact —the City Council has done nothing in the way of tramway development owing to the pressure of war and post war problems. This year, however, a forward move is contemplated. From the Mayor (Mr. R. A. Wright), a dominion reporter gathered yesterday that the financial year 1923-24 will be one of considerable tramway development. Much of the wc rk to lie dene was foreshadowed during tho past year. Wallace street Extension.

The first work of importance to be undertaken will be the extension of the Wallace Street line to Adelaide Road (via John Street), which is going to provide an alternative rout© to and from the city. That is to say, if there should occur a serious smash-up in Adelaide Road, Kent Terrace, or Courtenay. Place, or should a b:g fire prevent th© line in tliose thoroughfares being used, through traffic to Web lington South, Lyall and Island Bays could bo diverted to the Cuba-V\ allace Street line without much difficulty. It i« also expected that the extension will largely tend to equalise the loadinn-. At present there is a good deal of dead running on the Wallace Street line, but with a through run from Wellington South, there will be many people who wish to reach Hankey, Webb, Taranaki, and Upper Wilhs Streets who will naturally prefer the short cut over the hill to the long journey down to Vivian Street. The position of this extension is that tho Order-in-Council has been applied for, and the work will proceed as soon as that Order is approved and issued, which may be some time next month. All the surveys have been made, and the material is to hand. Double Line in Thorndon Quay.

When asked if the work of applying a permanent surface (in bitumen concrete) to Thorndon Quay was to be put in hand this month (as promised two months ago), the Mayor stated that the position regarding that thoroughfare had changed. A year ago it was thought that the configuration of Thorndon’Quay might possibly have to undergo some alteration to fit in with the plans of the Railway Department. That was not now likely, so the City Council was to proceed with the improvement of that dusty and corrugated thoroughfare as soon as possible. The first part of tho work will be to lay a double track of new rails on a concrete foundation. When that is done the quay will be given a surface of bitumen concrete, perhaps a little heavier than that applied to Cambridge Terrace, in order to take the particularly heavy traffic to which this road will be subjected in the future. Extension to Kaiwarra. Along with that work,, the extension of the line to Kaiwarra- runs hand-in-hand, and it may be undertaken during the coming twelvemonth. An important auxiliary city line will be the one which is to traverse Victoria and Wakefield Streets, connecting with tho Oriental Bay line at Clyde Quay. This wopk wil] be attended with a good deal 'of difficulty owing to the manner in which sundry electric light, tramway, and other mains have been laid under the roadway. With such works in view the tramwavs programme for the year is a very full one.