Pukerua Bay-Paekakariki Road

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 271, 12 August 1938, Page 13

Pukerua Bay-Paekakariki Road

Sir, —Is the making of the above re.:.l not a menace to the Main Trunk railway As you are aware, the road is being cut out below the railway embankment and _ must therefore weaken the same, particularly from a point one mile from the Pukerua railway station to another point a mile further on. Between these two points the railway cuttings forming the embankment. and. .hillside, are composed partially of natural facing, topped off with spoil from the various tunnels, etc., the latter having a distinct tendency to give way when disturbed and to fall on to the beach below.

Since March of this year quite a large number of slips have occurred between these two points, several of which have caused the road to be taken further in the' hillside by way of battering, and these slips I am of the opinion are definitely weakening the railway embankment.

On Saturday last a big slip came down from a point 50 to 60 feet below the line, and as this stretch is composed of soft rotten rock, this must mean a further fall later.

Where the hillside is saturated with water the vibration set up by trains climbing the incline or going down the incline very materially assists in weakening the sub-soil (rotten rock). Also, the blasting necessary as the road work goes on tends to have the same effect. The first cut made in the formation of the Pukerua Bay-Paekakariki road proves that the road.should never have been allowed to follow its present course (but to have followed along the beach itself, even at greater, cost). This cutting has, on account of slips, been cut back, and back till this part of tbe road is approximately a chain wide. The_ whole side is scarfed back from 60 to 70 feet in height and the Public Works Department contend that it is now safe from slips. . , , , ■ I would like to point out that hall-way up the hillside there is a wide seam stretching horizontally along the ii>v‘‘ composed of blue sandy pug permeated with water which seeps through the hinside. This seepage has already goc-'i". out big holes and only requires a tmrough soaking of rain to cause the u??' part of the hillside to break away, bringing further danger to the rai.m.v embankment. . I should be extremely interested to hem the replies of other interested parties .m regard to this matter. —I am, etc..

CONCERNED. [A copy of the above letter was referred to the Railways Department, which replied as follows:—“Prior to the commencement of this work a careful study of the conditions was made by the engineering staff of both the Railways and Public Works Departments, and the location of the road was fixed in a position where the formation work necessary would not endanger the railway embankments either during the course of construction of the road or subsequently. Regular inspections of the slopes below the" railway have been made by the engineering staff of the Railways Department, and the inspections show that the apprehensions of your correspondent are not well founded.”]