NEW ROAD OPENED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17237, 17 April 1930, Page 12

NEW ROAD OPENED

PICTON TO WESTPORT 'QUAKE RECONSTRUCTION (Por Press Association.) BLENHEIM,.Iast night. Realising the virtual completion of the hew highway to the West Coast the first motor service from Picton to West-I port, via Blenheim, Wairau Valley, Top-! house, and Muivhison, was inaugurated to-day. It was particularly appropriate that the service should be pioneeed by the well-known firm. Newman Bros., who, 50 years ago. blazed coach routes at this end of the South Island. The present service will he only triweekly, but, as the route becomes popular for use by tourists and West Coast businessmen, as it assuredly will, cars will run daily both ways. It is anticipated that, by the anniversary of the big earthquake, the Buller (Jorge road will he re-opened, and it is predicted that it will he a safer road and finer scenic route than ever before. When the gorge is re-opened .for traffic, it will be possible to breakfast in Westport and dine in Wellington, provided the Cook Strait ferry runs to suit,.

To mark the launching of the new service and the opening of the. route Messrs. Newman entertained 55 representatives of local and public bodies of .Marlborough, Nelson and the West Coast ;:t luncheon in Mnrehison, which is now the centre at which service cars from Marlborough-, Nelson and the Coast meet. A contingent of Marlborough public men were conveyed via the new road and were impressed with (he excellence of its construction. At luncheon, congratulatory speeches were made, the occasion being hailed as marking the beginning of a new era. in road communications in the northern end of the South Island. Afterwards, colored ribbons, representing the three . provinces. were stretched across.the hiflhway and severed hv Mr. K., F. Healv, M.P., Wairau. Mr.'P. .Ti Moffatt, Mayor. «of Nelson, and Mr. J. H. Harkness, Mayor of West port respectively.