HOMER TUNNEL ENTRANCE

Southland Times, Issue 24114, 1 May 1940, Page 6

HOMER TUNNEL ENTRANCE

Diversion To Avoid Scree And Water COMPLETION OF DRIVE THIS WEEK Because of the great amount of scree encountered and the flooding experienced during wet weather it was decided recently to divert the western end of the Homer tunnel for the last 50 feet. The driving of the new shaft was begun immediately after’ the visit to the tunnel a fortnight ago of the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) who was unable to proceed through the tunnel because of the depth of water at the western end. A preliminary shaft half the width of the heading drive was completed about the middle of last week and it is expected that the full drive will be completed about the end of this week. The new entrance to the tunnel is on a hard rock face with considerably less scree than the original portal. It will be more readily negotiable as it will be less subject to flooding than the entrance which was pierced a month ago and which has been flooded on many occasions since then. ENLARGING TUNNEL The drilling necessary for the enlargement of the tunnel to the full size of 24 feet by 20 feet has already been started on the ring boring system, but the actual firing of explosives will not begin until next spring. The trucks necessary for hauling the spoil out of the tunnel have not yet arrived at the Homer camp, but they are expected there during the winter. The drilling work will be continued and the firing of the shots will be arranged to coincide with the most convenient time for clearing the spoil. • During the winter a considerable depth of snow piles up 'at the western entrance of the tunnel and it would not be suitable to clear rock spoil quickly at that time. Some of the spoil will be required for building up the approach to the tunnel on the western section of the road.