Delays in Constructing East Coast Railway

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 236, 6 October 1938, Page 10

Delays in Constructing East Coast Railway

3 ■ - FASTER PROGRESS NOW LIKELY GISBORNE, Oct. 4. i Irksome delays in the progress of 3 railway formation south of Gisborne on ’ the East Coast main trunk route were < e overcome last week when the last set : t of girders for the Waipaoa River bridge . was landed at Gisborne and transported j to the site. The completion of steel ! t work on the bridge and the laying of sleepers and rails across it has enabled the department to link up with portion 9 of the formation and works track prepared in advance on me Muriwai side ‘ u of the river, and to open up the permanent way for the handling of heavy j , materials for bridging work to the*! southward. 0 It is hoped to carry the rails as far ( n as Black’s Bridge, in th 6 Pakowhai', swamp, by Christmas. Delays in the j Q receipt of stoel supplies have curtailed , the season’s programme, which was to , have been the Muriwai station yards as its Christmas objective. k Work on all parts of the railway 0 route between Gisborne and Waikokopu i £ is proceeding apace with the advent of [- better weather. At the Waikokopu end d the filling and bridge at the estuary o adjacent to the wharf are ready for ’* use, and the last of tho spoil broken ’ down by construction gangs from the bluffs overlooking the port re being 0 disposed of. j Nearer Opoutama there has been a s fall of spoil which must be removed 1 before the section from Waikokopu to 1 Apoutama is ready for the conveyance of material in works trains. The huge amount of earth and rock taken down o from the bluff section has been used t' in part in filling behind the seawall, - { which protects this portion of the line ) from the effects of heavy seas. In the ) lower portion of the Kopuawhara Val j lsy the level of formation has been j , raised a little to give better clearance s bridges and provide against possible damage by flood Waters.