THE FIRST PICK

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 75, 21 December 1929, Page 12

THE FIRST PICK

IN NEW MOUNT VICTORIA TUNNEL CEREMONY AT WESTERN FACE THE MAYOR RELATES SOME HISTORY Patterson Street, where the now tunnel through to the Eastern Suburbs begins to pierce Mount Victoria, was gay witii bunting yesterday afternoon on tlie occasion of the driving of the first pick for the actual tunnel work ity the Mayor (All’. G. A. Troup). Tlie civic flag also reposed against the face of tlie rock, and there were present City Councillors and numbers of the public to witness the interesting ceremony. Immediately before the ceremony commenced Air. L. Mills (representing the Hansford and Mills Construction Company) presented the Alayor with a beautiful toy pick—a gold pick and greenstone handle —of exQuisite workmanship, enclosed in a case of polished rewarewa, as a memento of the occasion. The case bore a gold plate inscribed as follows: — “To His Worship the Mayor, Geo. A. Troup, Esq., to. commemorate the occasion of his driving the first pick of the Mt. Victoria tunnel, 20th of December, 1929. Presented by the contractors, the Hansford and AHUs Construction Co., Ltd. The following figures will enable the dimensions of the tunnel to be grasped at a glance:—Length, 2045 ft.; breadth, inside 29ft., outside 33ft; height, 23ft; width of footpath, sft. 6in.; width of road, 23ft.; contractors, Hansford and Mills Construction Co.; contract price, £133,000; period of contract, 18 months. A Long-Deferred Job. Councillor R. A. Wright, M.P., said that as chairman of the Works Committee it was his privilege and pleasure to preside at the afternoon’s function and to introduce the Mayor, who would perform the act which would formally initiate the work of driving the tunnel. The function was the culmination of a long-drawn fight between the residents of the eastern suburbs. They would remember that in 1920 a big list of loan proposals, totalling a million and three-quarters, was submitted to the ratepayers, and much to the surprise of the then Alayor and councillors every proposal was adopted. The tunnel was one of the last proposals included. When they were being discussed, Councillor T. Forsyth proposed that the list of proposals Include a tunnel to connect the city with Kilbirnie. That was accepted, and carried with the rest. But it was not one of the first works to proceed. Others had to take precedence. It was a huge programme, and had to be spread over a number of years; not like the Auckland City Council, which adopted a big programme and decided to carry out its works simultaneously, with the result that the works ended about the same time, creating a great unemployment problem for years; indeed, they had it still. The Wellington City Council decided to proceed slowly, so the eastern suburbs had to wait. But they kept the 1920 loan alive, and the Alayor was there that day to drive the first pick in the new tunnel. This was to provide room enough for two tramway tracks, a road for vehicles, and an elevated footpath, and would be a means of providing a transport route for many years to come. Fifty Years Hence. There might be a doubt as to whether It would meet the traffic of fifty years hence. If traffic grew in the next half century as it bad in the last twenty years, the tunnel would probably be found too small for the requirements of that time—but fifty years ahead was too far off for them to warry about. He knew that city councils were supposed to have long vision, but to provide for so long ahead would mean a heavy rate on the backs of the people of to-day. The people of that time could provide for themselves, and would be well able to do it. He, with the Mayor, believed that they would now have to call a halt for some time; just go along steadily and digest what had been done. Councillor Wright said there were very few vehicular tunnels in the world larger than the one about to be driven. One of the difficulties to be encountered would be ventilation to draw off the fumes of congested motor traffic in the tunnel. There was very little reliable data from engineers on the subject, but all precautions were being taken in that respect. Three Shifts’ a Day. The contractors were going to work three shifts a day, with the exception of Sunday, so the people of Hataltal, Kilbirnie, Aliramar and all the bays could be pretty well assured that in eighteen months the work would be completed. (Applause.) Councillor Wright then called upon the Alayor. History of Tunnel. Air. Troup said that he would first like to thank Air. L. Mills for the very handsome memento of the occasion which had been presented to him prior to the ceremony. As Councillor Wright had informed them a good many major works had been carried out in Wellington during the past few years, and the tunnel about to be driven was one of the biggest ever undertaken. Perhaps it was the most important, as it would connect the eastern suburbs with the centre of the city. They would realise that when he said that the eastern suburbs were destined to carry a population of 55,000. That represented as many as Wanganui, Palmerston North, and other smaller towns on the way down put together. The tunnel would enable that population to travel quickly to their homes, either by tram, motor-car, or on foot. The existing Hataitai tunnel from Pirie Street was carried out by contract in 1906 at a cost of £16,055, of which £lO,OOO was donated by the Hataitai Land Company, so it-.would be seen that it only stood the city in for a sum of £6OOO. Considering the use made of it by the tramways they had received full value for their money. That tunnel was not a general traffic tunnel, and provided for a single line of tramway traffic only. Its total length was 1274 ft. An Early Agitation. As early as 1910 there was further agitation in the eastern suburbs for a second tunnel to give relief and for general traffic purposes. In 1910 the then city engineer, under instruction from the council, had '* "latigated two alternative routes for a second tunnel, viz., by Rixon

Grove and the Wellington College grounds, the latter route being favoured. When provision was made in the 1920 loan schedule for a second tunnel it was to be constructed approximately on the alignment of the tunnel now being constructed. It was interesting to recall that when the Hataitai Electors’ Association employed Air. Leslie Reynolds to report on the tunnel line, that engineer had recommended the line now being followed. Access Commission’s Report. In February, 1928, the corporation appointed a commission of experts consisting of Alessrs. J. Alarchbanks (chairman), W. E. Bush, G. A. Alart, M. Cable and H. W. Butcher (town planner) to report in connection -with the access to the eastern and western suburbs. On Alay 23, 1928, that commission submitted its report to the council, making definite recommendations for the alignment of the second tunnel to give vehicular and tramway access to the eastern suburbs. Those recommendations were adopted by the council and plans and specifications were prepared by the City Engineer’s Department. Tenders were called, and on July 23, 1929, the tender of the Hansford and Mills Construction Company was accepted, the price being £132,738. The time for completion was 18 months from December 20. The width of the approaches was 40ft. between kerbs, and the length 550 ft. (western) and 709 ft. (eastern). From the former, 11,812 cubic yards of spoil had been shifted, and from the eastern approach 19,450 cubic yards. The length of the tunnel itself would be 2045 feet on a grade of lin 60. It would mean the depositing of 10,177 cubic yards of concrete and the removal of 49,600 cubic yards of spoil. Special Ventilation. As Mr. Wright had said, ventilation of the tunnel was all important. Special provision was being made. A fan chamber was being provided at each end of the tunnel, and at the head of two air shafts. Not only that, but fresh air would be drawn into the tunnel by mea'ns of an air duct under the, elevated footpath and would be extracted from the roof of the tunnel by means of roof air ducts. The two vertical airshafts were to be Bft. in diameter. The spoil from the a-nroaches and from the tunnel was being utilised for the construction of a recreation ground on the Town Belt adjacent to the astern portal, where an area of from five to six acres would be provided, with slight additional work in levelling off the adjacent spurs. The spoil from the western approach had been deposited in the Wellington College grounds. Other Big Works. The Mayor also said that the tunnel was only one of several big works accomplished and in hand, and mentioned the works in connection with the improved access given to Roseneath, Hataitai, Wadestown, Karori, Kelburn, Brooklyn, Ngaio, Khandallah, and Alelrose. There was also the completion of the Alarine Drive round the waterfront of the metropolitan area, the Soldiers’ War Alemorial (on Lambton Quay), the airport, the National Art Gallery, and Dominion Aluseum. the drainage of Aliramar, the new milk station, the Kelburn viaduct, and new parks at Rongotai, Nairnville, Western, and Kaiwarra. Taking all these great works into consideration, it could not be said that the council had been idling. But as the chairman of the Works Committee had said, the time was coming, if it had not already come, to call a halt or go a little slower. No one wished to raise the rates, but when the citizens persistently asked for certain works to be carried out, they must be prepared to pay for them. If the cost of all the works were added up" (and he was going to prepare a report on the subject), and the increased sums of money accruing to the council through the natural gowth of population was taken into consideration, he was of the opinion that it would be found that the works had been carried out at a remarkably low figure. He heartily congratulated the Hansford and Aiills Construction Company on securing the contract. and the citizens in having that firm to do the work, as they knew that the job would go through without delay, and be carried out in an efficient manner, and that probably in less than eighteen months the tunnel would be completed. (Applause.) Driving the First Pick.

Amidst smiles all round the Mayor doffed his coat, grasped tlie pick (handed to him by Mr. J. Downer, the engineer for the contractors), and with a few hefty digs brought down half a hundredweight of rock, amidst great applause. Others who had a dig at the face were Councillors W. T. Hildeth, W. J, Gaudin. It. Semple, M.P., and C. H. Chapman, M.P.