ROAD TO WELLINGTON SOUTH

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 207, 27 May 1920, Page 4

ROAD TO WELLINGTON SOUTH

SCHEME FOR NEW ARTERY WIDENING OF TORY STREET FAVOURED

Early Inst year the City Engineer (Mr, W. H! Morton] brought down an important Teport on city improvement, dealing chiefly with traffic problems, and making suggestions for their solution. That report was supplied to councillors, but it was never publicly discussed, nor has the report been issued to tho Press. One of the chief features of this Teport provided, it is understood, for a new broad arterial way from, Courtenay Placo to Adelaide Road, following a more or less straight line, which would.be wide enough for a donbio tramway track for express cars for all ordinary traffic, with room, perhaps, for island plantations. The scheme,, which was to be. a costly one, was also to provide for the improvement of that, densely populated residential area between Tory and Taranaki Streets (taking in those blocks which are divided by Frederick 'and Haining Streets).

Tho subject was recalled to mind by Councillor W. H. Bennett, who asked the Mayor at Tuesday's meeting of the! City Council if it were ever intended to widen Tory Street, in order to mak» it a main arterial thoroughfare through tho city to__Wellington South. Ho raised the point because at present that thoroughfare was chiefly bordered by old wooden buildings, which would, ' sooner or later, have to come down. The' firm of Thompson and Lewis was putting in the foundations of. a building that would present a considerable frontage to" Tory Strest East, and if the council proposed later to widen that thorough--fare it might be advantageous • to all parlies to ask the firm to set back such new premises to tho new alignment. Tho Mayor said that Mr. Morton had' prepared a report on this, subject somo: time ago, but circumhnce3 had prevented its full consideration. The subject involved moro than a consideration of fh|6 widening of Tory Street. It dealt : with that area which included Haining nnd Frederick Streets, and was really » very important report ns dealing with tho Wellington of the future. The matter was one that would have to be looked into, and he proposed to convene a, special meeting for tntit purpose next, week. It wns almost essential that tho • council should come to a decision regarding a new main artery to Wellington South. He personally favoured tho widening of Tory Street. It is understood that another schemo suggested for a main "Bror.dvny , through the city was to construct a road from a point in Wakefield Street near . Lower Taranaki Street, to the Basin Be- -, serve, traversing "Bio intervening blocks obliquely. That suggestion' was innde, it is understood, when it was' considered that the proposed second tunnel through Mount. Victoria would piercei the ranga either at tho top of Ellice Street or a little further soutW, from a gully whlfth runs into the hills in :ho grounds of Wellington College.