TRAMWAY EXTENSION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2623, 19 November 1915, Page 7

TRAMWAY EXTENSION

• HELPING LYALL BAY. Rapid progress has been made re-, cently with the. construction work- of the>,Constable Street tramway extension. Speaking. to a Dominion reporter 'yes-. terday,. tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) said ; that . the extension and diiplicatioii work to link up the trams at Kilbiniie was well advanced. "■ A large gang of men was employed, there at present, and preference was given, to tliis undertaking, because of its urgency.' Tho double line has been laid from .the .top of "'Constable Street down to a point , ready 'to; junction on . with the ' maiii'.-! lind opposite the Kilbirnie Post Office;. This; work, is now practically completed,' as is also the road widening and footpaths' made necessary on the new route., .

In.connection with, the road widening, a'considerable number of cuttings and retaining walls were made, 'and these'have withstood' the recent heavy Tains in, an excellent manner. The duplication doiv'n. Constable Street is now being coiistruoted, and the Engineer (Mr. W- H. Morton) states that everything is,well in hand to have the line. <jpen by Christnms, provided that the overhead copper wire comes to hand. ' No word has been received of this, and with the delay at IXonie, and uncertain transport, it is doubtful w'yen it will arrive in the Dominion.. However, once it does get here, it will not be long before the finishing touches ire given to this line,, and the trams put on to reliove the : congestion, which i is daily beooming a harder problem. 'Tlio,development of the Lyall Bay district, and the coming holiday traffic to the seaflide resorts, is causing the line to be bo rushed that tho Traffic Department hav® a hard task to oope with the situation. : . ■ _ \. Referring to other works in the City, t'lio Mayor said that development is being carried out' in accordance with the' estimates passed sonio time ago, arid tho Engineer had informed him that everything .was being pushed forward with- the utmost dispatch. No borrowed money is being spent, and nccessary work tEat lias been authorised will havo to be paid for out of the ordinary revenue. The more important and urgent proposals naturally aro taking precedence. ; Tho construction of a wnitingBhod and convenience by tho Lyall Bay heacli, which was authorised by tho council last, week, will bo pushed on with at once, and the Mayor thought tho council would ■ authorise an extension of bathing facilities at Kilbirnie, and the construction gf a shod at Ballena Bay, for at both theso places the lovers of sea-bathing' are becoming an increasing number.