TAWA FLAT TUNNELS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3862, 20 March 1928, Page 34

TAWA FLAT TUNNELS.

TENDERS EXCEED ESTIMATES.

GOVERNMENT TO DO THE WORK.

WELLINGTON, March 17. The Minister of Public Works (M r K. S. Williams) announced to-day that the Government had decided not to accept any of the tenders for the construction of the two tunnels in connection with the Tawa Flat deviation on the ground that all the tenders received exceeded the departmental estimates. The work will now be carried out by the Public Works Department. “ Tenders were recently called,” said the Minister, “ for the construction of the Wellington Tawa Flat' railway deviation, the work consisting almost entirely of the driving of two tunnels —one three-quarters of a mile long and the other about two miles and a quarter long, both for a double track of railway. After carefully considering the tenders it was decided to decline them all, and the Public Works Department will carry out the work itself. The reason for doing this is that the tenders were much in excess of the department’s estimate, and the Government is confident that the work can be carried out at a price a good deal below the lowest tender. The department has itself carried out a considerable amount of tunnelling work, and has a great many men at present engaged in tunelling throughout the country. It is expected that an early start will be made with the tunnels. The departmental estimate for the work of the deviation is in the vicinity of £950,0C0. “ The complete combined scheme of station and deviation, which includes the new railway yard in which will be incorporated the Thorndon sea wall and reclamation, provides for a central railway station linked up with the ferry service, and on both the Wairarapa (Main Trunk and suburban) lines a shorter and easier graded exit to the north and a simplification of travel and saving of haulage and traffic handling costs, which may be said to justify fully its estimated cost —£2,050,000. “ The Tawa Flat deviation will be approximately seven miles long and includes two tunnels —one of two miles .nd threequarters and the other of three-quarters of a mile—but will b e only part of a-big scheme which, when completed, will probably have cost £2,500,000. The railway yard is to cost £1,100,000. The only part of this work which is finished is the seawall of the Thorndon reclamation, which will be incorporated in the new railway now being planned. The cost of the sea wall is set down as £200,000, and the reclamation is estimated to cost £200,000. This work is well ahead, and should be completed or nearing completion in 18 months. ‘Culverts, etc.,’ are put down for £25,000 more. The estimated cost of the station yard itself, which will embody the gravity or * hump ’ shunting methods, which have been in vogue at tne Middleton yards in Canterbury, and which will otherwise be thoroughly up to date, is £650,000. “ These items total £1,075,000 in the 1924 estimates, but in the 1926 estimates the figure is £1,100,000. To this must be added th e cost of the Tawa Flat deviation, which is estimated to be £950,000, making the total estimated cost £2,050,000. “ The first step taken in the construction of the track deviation was the letting of the contract for the bottom heading on August 24 last to Messrs Burnside and Slatthews, whose job it is to pierce and open up the first and shorter tunnel for subsequent completion.”