PURCHASE OF KELBURN TRAMWAY

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 126, 30 May 1928, Page 5

PURCHASE OF KELBURN TRAMWAY

/ The report of the commission appointed by the City Council to investigate the problems of improving the means of access to the eastern and western suburbs was released for publication last night. The main recommendations are:— The construction of a tramway and traffic tunnel, 28ft 6in' wide, through the Mount Victoria ridge from Patterson street to a point on the Town Belt 190 yards west of Moxham avenue. The estimated cost is £317,000. The driving of a new road from the head of Bowen street through private property and the north-eastern portion of Bolton street Cemetery and on to Tinakori road, the road then on to Karori Cemetery to be widened to 49ft 6in, to allow of the laying of double tram tracks. It is also recommended that to give better access to the western suburbs a new route should be made by driving a tunnel, 500 ft long, from Norway street to the Horseshoe Bend, in the vicinity of the Kelburn viaduct, the approach road from Aro street to be 49ft 6in in width and generally following the line of Norway street. The commission further advises either the purchase and duplication of the Kelburn tramway or the construction of a cable car system from Willis street. ' The estimated cost of these works is in the vicinity of three-quar-ters of a million.

The commission, <which comprised Messrs. J. Marchbanks (chairman), W. E. Bush, G. A. Hart, M. Cable, and H. F. Butcher, commenced its sitting. at the Town Hall on sth. March, 1928,-and. sat thereafter on various dates until 23rd May, 1928, when the investigations were" concluded. Twenty witnesses were examined or submitted statements of their views. ' The observations and recommendations of the commission are summarised in the report <as follows:—