BIG TRAFFIC TUNNEL UNDER MOUNTAIN

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 94, 15 January 1936, Page 8

BIG TRAFFIC TUNNEL UNDER MOUNTAIN

Te Anau-Milford Highway

SATISFACTORY PROGRESS OF WORK

Dominion Special Service,

Dunedin, January 14

Steady progress is being made with the construction of the Te AnauMilford main highway, and it is the intention of the Public Works Department, which is carrying out the work, to increase the gang at the Milford end of the road from 50 to 150 men. An intimation to this effect was madtf today by Mr. T. M. Ball, district Public Works engineer at Dunedin, who has just returned from a visit of inspection to the works. Mr. Ball was accompanied by the Rev. A. H. Nordmeyer, ALP. for Oamaru, and Mr. AV. G. Pearce, district Public Works engineer at Invercargill, an inspection being carried out at the request of the Minister of PublicWorks, Hon. It. Semple, for the purpose of investigating a series of grievances among the men at the two camps. Mr. Ball said that as a result of his visit the men appeared to be in a much happier frame of mind. The party left here on 'Tuesday last and on Wednesday the work at the Hollyford end of the road was inspected. Mr. Ball said that the tunnelling had already been started and so far n 0 unforeseen difficulties had been encountered. The tunnel, when completed, would be approximately 4000 feet long, one of the longest road traffic tunnels to be bored under a mountain in the world. The work would probably present many difficulties before it was completed, but it was not expected that they would be anything like insurmountable. At the present time there were 220 men working on the Hollyford end of the road.

The party then inspected the work at tile Milford side, and it was found that everything was proceeding satisfactorily. A number of complaints were voiced by the men working there, but, according to Mr. Ball, the men appeared to be quite satisfied when the party left. Mr. Ball said that from information he had gathered the number of visitors to the Eglinton Valley and Milford during the present holiday season had been greater than ever before.