TRACK CONSTRUCTION

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 48, 20 November 1920, Page 10

TRACK CONSTRUCTION

BIG ALTERATION IN COURTENAY PLACE BUILDING FRONTS TO GO BACK A work of some magnitude in respect to tho' tramway tracks in Courteimy PJnco litis been comincnced. For; sonio ten or twelve years vast the City Council lias throateuod to widen Miat.uanw part of Courtennv PktCD tlie Grand Opera House J>y taking off» u pieco of land from the Market Reserve —the block on which the Royal tel and other buildiugs- stand. I Ins strip of land comm'cnccs »at Hie north* east corner of tho hotel and widens out 'until the strip is Bft. broad at the ■lurkish baths building, and even more than that at tho end of thai, asphalted nnnsul<ir spaco. opposite the King's lhcfitrc. The widening of this thoroughfare will enablo the Tramways Department to carry out a long-desivcd reform by inovo nearly the double track of rails. Tho maximum difference will be to move the tracks 9££. nearer the centre of the road, by making the present southern track tho northern one, and laying down a new track altogether on its southern side., In order to construct 1 an entirely new track, pane's of blocks have to be removed every few feet and tue concrete foundation disturbed go as .o allow of the placing in position of the now sleepers. In the ordinary ; way the concrete flooring,> about' six inciies. in deptfh, requires a great deal of laborious work, but this is being' got over very largely by the use of a rock drill drneu by air compression, with direct power derived from the overhead tr;un\vav wireThis is tho first occasion on which a rock drill has been witnessed in operation in the centre of the city, and the clean and rapid' manner in winch holes were bored in the hard concrete attracted the attention of many, hundreds ot people yesterday. New rails will be used in the laying down of the trades along Courtenay Place, roughly U'lwetn Bis Majesty's. Theatre and the Opera Houso. lhe shifting- away of the present northern track altogether; along this thoroujhtare wiii make the 'igoing considerably easier for ordinary trailic. .. . '.-■ . As it is necessary according to statutory law to provide a space of 10ft. between the Kerb of a footbath and tho nearest tram rail, tho footpath winch flanks the Turkish Baths will be reduced to about 2ft. in width, tuitil the frontages *of the buildings allected uro adjusted to tho new alignment: The wear and tear ou the rails at Stewart Dawson's corner is very considerable, and ou the \bend the rails a.re Biioiviug low flat surfaces, wluoli do uut provide enough grip for tho car wheels. ■ Occasionally at this point a car leaves the tracks, fortunately without, serious consequences (us. the cars take the corner very quietly turn rule), but it is evident even to the lay eye that the 'special" work at this busy corner must shortly be renewed in the interest of public safety. '