PROGRESS WITH POWER SCHEME Al ROXBURGH GORGE

Grey River Argus, 29 September 1949, Page 8

PROGRESS WITH POWER SCHEME Al ROXBURGH GORGE

DUNEDIN, September 28 Dr. J. L. Savage, of Denver, United States, the man who designed the Boulder, Grand Coulee and Shasta dams in America and many others all over the .world, is expected to arrive in New Zealand in a few days and to go to Roxburgh Gorge soon after his arrival. Dr. Savage has been asked by the Government to report on hydroelectric projects in the Dominion with special reference to the £17,000 000 Roxburgh Gorge scheme, which is one of the biggest undertakings in the country and equal as single engineering units to anything in the world.

Work at Roxburgh Gorge is proceeding steadily a little ahead of schedule. Large quantifies 0$ the most modern materials are in use on the job. Other heavy machinery is expected to arrive soon for use on the rock face, which has been uncovered by the stripping of the earth overburden from the top of th e diversion cut to hold the Clutha river while the main dam is being built. For IS hours each day—the men are engaged on two nine-hour shifts —th e sound of heavy machines can be heard as steel bites deeper into rocky o'round. Bulldozers, tractors, carryalls and trucks are constantly moving huge quantities of spoil from the cut and changing the face of the area beyond all recognition.

Som e blasting on the rock bottom of the diversion cut has already been done and blasting on a faster scale will be carried out when more highlift shovels arrive on the site.