HOMER TUNNEL

Southland Times, Issue 25306, 8 June 1935, Page 5

HOMER TUNNEL

TE ANAU ROAD t ROOM FOR TRAFFIC BOTH WAYS CABINET’S DECISION (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, June 7. Cabinet has decided that the tunnel through the Homer Saddle on the Te Anau-Milford Sound road is to be made wide enough for traffic both ways instead of a single roadway only as at first intended. The piercing of the tunnel will be undertaken by the Public Works Department. This decision was announced by the Minister of Public Works to-day, and the Minister stated that work on the tunnel would be commenced immediately and should be completed by the end of 1937. Footways for pedestrians will be constructed through the tunnel and the roadway will be concreted. The cutting of the tunnel will be the biggest task of its kind undertaken for many years. Tenders for construction of the tunnel were called some time ago, but the Minister said the tenders received were substantially in excess of the estimate of the cost prepared by the department. Cabinet had considered the tenders and had decided to decline them all and instruct the Public Works Department to undertake the work. Experience has shown, said the Minister, that the department has been more successful with these big tunnel works than the private contractor. Quite a number of such works have had to be taken in hand by the department after the contractor has proceeded a certain distance, and the department has then completed the work cheaply and expeditiously. Other major tunnel works have been carried out at a lower cost than the lowest tender received when the contract was advertised.