WORK ON MOLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26958, 18 December 1948, Page 6

WORK ON MOLE

Hopes of Board for Rapid Progress After an inspection yesterday morning of the Harbour Board’s works connected with the mole at the entrance to the Otago Harbour, the chairman of the board, Mr W. R. Clarke, expressed the opinion that, with favourable weather, the mole should be consolidated and raised to high-water mark for more than 3000 feet in about 18 months’ time. Mr H. C. Carter, deputy chairman, Mr A. C. Swanson, resident engineer, and CSptain F. G. Macdonald, harbour master, accompanied Mr Clarke. The inspection followed the . board’s decision at its meeting on Monday night to raise the breakwater to high-water mark in order to improve the entrance to the harbour.

The mole at present runs but to sea from the Spit for a distance of over 3000 feet, but a portion of the superstructure has been washed away. With the consolidation of the present superstructure, the railway line for the carriage of stone will be built up in stages until the length is'more than 4000 feet. It is expected that thousand* of tons of rock will be made available by blasting operations at the board’s quarry early in the new year.." One of the greatest difficulties facing the board in having the work done is the shortage of labour, - but Mr Clarke said he expected that the position would improve in the near future. The board has also decided to build No. 4 groyne to half-tide mark in order to see what effect this will have in driving the tides to the. east. If satisfactory results are obtained then the other groynes will probably be raised.