OPEN FOR TRAFFIC

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 139, 8 March 1930, Page 7

OPEN FOR TRAFFIC

TORY STREET EXTENSION

When the Te Aro Railway Station was in existence there was no outlet to the city between Taranaki Street eastward to Clyde Quay, as the station stnd shunting yard extended along the full length of Wakefield Street. Subsequent to the abandonment of the station and all railway activity south of Lambton, the kind was slowly released for business purposes, which meant that access through the Railway Department’s land could be gained b.v negotiation. The first movement, made only about six years ago. was the extension of Chaffers Street through the block to Wakefield Street, which meant a more direct communication between the Courtenay Place area of the city and the waterfront. Still it is a quarter of a mile between Taranaki and Chaffers Streets, and it gradually dawned on the corporation that flic existing block might be bisected by still another access way to the waterfront l>y extending Tory Street, on to Cable Street. This work was put in hand about the middle of last year, and Hie new road was thrown open for traffic yesterday. In the process of making tills 75ynrd extension, some' solid concrete work whieli formed tile old railway station platform had to be removed, the ground levelled, and the old tracks lifted. Then, as tlie land there is all reclaimed, a solid foundation of metal mid broken concrete was laid in and rolled flat, after whieli live indies of concrete (reinforced witli expanded metal) was spread and left to “cure” witli a roughened surface. On top of that again Ims been spread a substantial cushion of bituminous concrete witli a final surface of metal chips, forming a special road which should not need attention for another seven or eight years. Tlie new street is flanked on one side by Hansford and Mills’s steel works and on Hie other by Market t'-irdencrs Ltd and a timber yard. There is a 6ft. footpath on both sides, whieli have yet to be flagged.