LEWIS PASS ROAD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22391, 11 April 1936, Page 8

LEWIS PASS ROAD

CANTERBURY-WESTLAND LINK COMPLETION IN A YEAR Another year's -work should almost complete the I*3wis Pass Koad in the opinion of Mr. F. Langbein, district engineer at Christchurch for the Public Works Department, who has returned from an inspection of the/work. New and convenient access will be given from Canterbury to Greymouth, Westporfc, Reeiton and Nelson by the completion of the road, and it will shorten the distance from Christchurcli to all places north of Greymouth ana to beyond Nelson by from 30 to 80 miles. . , The construction of the road has been in the hands of the Public Works Department since March last year. For some years before then the work was done bv relief labour, the men baring been engaged on the _ constructionor the road from where it branches fron the Hanmer Springs main highway to the Hope river crossirg, a distanoe of nearly 20 miles. The formation of the road has beea completed for a little more than seven miles past the bridge across the Hope River, and the surface is in excellent order for motor-cars. At the end ot this portion, however, access tw vehicles is blocked by heavy rock excavations on a bluff section oppos™ the Doubtful River, where it flow into the Boyle River. This bluff section has been the obstacle for sons months. The last of the co-operative extracts for the work here has been le* and it is hoped that in a month or six weeks it will be possible for cars to traverse this section and so have access to the Boyle flats, which are near the junction of the Lewis M Boyle Rivers. It will then be possib to take vehicles across these flats an cross the Boyle where a temporary bridge has been constructed. About 200 men are employed on tM job, and of these 60 are working_«■ yond the Boyle River. The leading gang is almost at the hot about three miles beyond the Bo.' River bridge, and at the present ra of progress there should not be rn uC , work left unfinished at the end another year.