EAST COAST RAILWAY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14052, 24 July 1916, Page 10

EAST COAST RAILWAY.

PROGRESS '|OF*C*iOXSTR-UOTION. Detailing the progress o£ construction r»f the East Coast Main Trunk railway, the Hon. W. Fraser, m the course bf his Public Works Statement (submitted to Parliament last week, remarks: — _^N"oi:thetn section j Work on the section between WaM and Athenree, aboiit eight miles Ahd three-quarters m length; has beeiv t steadily cai'ried on during th'e' East year, and considerable progress has een 'made. Tauranga section: On the important section commencing at Tauranga harbor formation work is completed as far «s i^eagakawa, nearly 24 miles to the east', and-the goods service which is run by the Public Works Department to tliis point is well patronised by the settlers along t the route. "Uassengers are carried befween . the starting point, at Mount and Te. Puke, 13 miles distant! ;There will be some delay m com\jpleting the steel bridge over the Kaituna riyer, ..oyfing.^-o. the difficulty in*;obtaining material, but a temporary structure permits of tlie /trairi passing over Hie jsttieani m the J( meantime. The Department works, a- stone quarry at Te Puke for ballast, and also supplies th 6 i*equirements of neighboring local bodies from "the. source. "Beyond Pongakawa cartlnvorks a,Ve m progess ov.er a Jength of 15;niilea to Matata. Efforts wer-e made during the year to vbtain supplies- of steel for the superstructure of the laige bridge which is to carry tjie railway across the . Tauranga harbor m front of the town, but owing ;fcc the extraordinary conditions prevail.ing m the steel industry m England, due to the war, it is at present imposssfjjjjle, .to;obtain supplies, and the construction .of the fridge will therefore be deferred mVtir.jthe, return of normal con"idi^ions. , At the .present , time the policy ,J"s'vbQhig ;U pjij^u^d of, only completing , sufficiently to .enable traffic to ..Tbe^y^pi-ked; safely, m order .^hat the funds „av^^tyje,/niay|' > be utilised,. in extending ttejjiiie as>far, l aa possible, so as to serve . the maximum amount of.- country at the . «4g-^est j^iblejidfite. : \ JGisbarno .nor^liwards ,: j From Mata.waij r :tjbe .terminus of the , openjed/line^ito K^wjiai ..road^.station, near v \^|ftt\i, -tjie fo^^tmh^wi*k: V has:'.be^ colppjeted'j/tiie • i^BViiave-Jjeen /.laid, and tyhe [iine: '/is p^tly. ballasted. , A-, tempoj^ry bridge' ; ;the':line;oyeir jtlie^yM^'d riv^i^a^ , c^ropletipn pi the permanent steel,. «t^uc--1 .owing -/to tlie'dinT.c'uliy w --Oif I^^flg^if^^plst -A , goods^servicetis , c^ijried on, l .'bet!w le|en1 e|en JMatawai and tlie Wlhiead,; ;timber 4 j^a principal . frjejght. Construction uwork jjbeyohd . Kownai road section station cannot- be .put ih "hand until the route of the main :,line towards, the Bay of , Plenty .is (d«fi? , nitely located. Gisborne southwards : Construction work.of a varied character, has 'been car^ rieJ~.on to. a point 14 miles tfrom the jujflctton at Makaraka.. The steel bridge ov*r the Waipaoa. river has been completed. Rails are "laid up to and a mile and a half beyond Ngatapa (11^ miles . from 'Ehe junction), to . Vhich point -a temporary goods and passenger service •is carried on. Beyond Ngatapa asme heavy, cuttings are , well., advanced, „ and one , tunnel heading driven; but- the funds available would not permit of .- this , s)^lpn being fully manned throughout the-year. Napier northwards: Construction^ work . has been restricted to 'the lajge' reihi foeced concrete bridge and approach . banks, which are to carry the railway . and road over^ the inner harbor. Neces-) . aao^.plan'fc and supplies of steel and cdn- , crete iaaterials have been brought to tho-aito, piles made and seasoned, and driving- m position commenced. " The ' exwtipii of the bridge is being ' carried ©ut by the department's staff,. and the construction of the ? approach banks at either, end by the Napier Harbor Board under contract. The bank , on Westshore side is almost finished. . •/