TRAMWAY TRACKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21829, 18 June 1934, Page 10

TRAMWAY TRACKS

RELAYING OPERATIONS KARANGAHAPE ROAD WORK RELIEF OF UNEMPLOYMENT Good progress is being made with the reconstruction of the tramway track along Karangahape Road from the intersection of Upper Queen Street to the comer of Ponsonby Road. Part of the work has already been completed, the track having been relaid between Pitt Street and liowe Street. At tho present time a gang of mon is engaged on the Upper Queen StreetPitt Street section of Karangahape Road, which has been closed to tramway traffic for some weeks in order to accelerate operations. Tramcars from western suburbs which normally traverse Karangahape Road and Upper Queen Street have been diverted down Pitt Street, but from to-day the usual running schedules will be resumed on both inward and outward tracks. , Certain tasks, such as the aligning of the rails and the packing of the sleepers, have to be done during tho day so as to ensure efficiency, but other work is carried out at night with a minimum of inconvenience to users of the road. Owing to the boggy nature of the sub-soil in Karangahape Koad reinforced concrete is being used in the foundations of the track. When tho work on the Upper Queen Street-Pitt Street section has been completed it is proposed to reconstruct the track on the final section between Howe Street and the Ponsonby Road corner. For tho past three or four years tramway track reconstruction has been in progress, tho Auckland Transport Board having arranged for such work to bo undertaken at a cost of £33,000 and to be in tho nature of unemploymont relief. Of the total sum involved £II,OOO was a liability of the Unemployment Board as subsidy under the No. 5 scheme. Standard rates of wages ar<> paid by. the board, which is empowered to 'select the men for employment.