RIVER DIVERSION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 78, 14 March 1934, Page 7

RIVER DIVERSION

SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS Forty Teams Engaged THE NEW STOP-BANK With a total of 150 men engaged, the work in connection. with the diversion of the Tntaekuri river is now in full awing. Forty teams are engaged on the three different earthworks—the intake to the diversion channel, the erection of the embankment to close off the old waterway, and the building of the south bank below the- Brookfields bridge. Already an impression can be obtained of the size that the protecting levees will be when completed. Although the work of closing off the old channel has been in progress only a little over a week, a substantial filling of over six chains has been carried out. The new stop-bank across the berm will be nine feet high, while across the old waterway the earthwork will be 18 feet in height. In order to provide added strength at this point the batter on both sides will be two to one, which is an increase on that on the inside of the ordinary stop-bank from If to one. The men at the pitheads, from where the material is being carted in drays, are working on an alignment which will tend to confine the actual river to the centre of its bed. On the opposite side at the intake to the diversion channel an excavation to improve the alignment is also being made, and wßen completed the river will be given an almost straight tun down. It is important to note that the new earthworks are being consolidated as they are being built through the teams all working along the top of them. At the present rate of progress it is expected that by Friday night six chains of the bank for the closing of the channel will be completed to the required height, which will be about four feet higher than the existing bank at PowdrelTg road. To facilitate this work it is proposed to construct a temporary bridge across the river at the intake so that some of the drays working on the opposite side may be employed on this particular work. Good work has been done by the clearing gangs in preparing the existing banks upstream for the work that is expected to follow shortly. From the point where the new bank joins the old bank at Powdreil’s road clearing work has been completed for a distance of ten chains. Special care is being taken with this work so that the new earthwork will have a satisfactory foundation. All stumps are being dug out and all growth cut away. The new work will be made on the inside of the existing bank, the top of which will not be bailt upon, as it is intended to be a support to the permanent work as designed in the scheme. The clearing gang working on Donnelly’s bank will have heavy work to do for about a mile, as a considerable quantity of timber will have to be removed, which will make large supplies of willow firewood available. Below the Brookfields bridge, where two gangs are working, it is intended to correct the river channel on similar lineg to what is now being done at the iajtake.