BIG WORK IN GREECE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 138, 8 December 1938, Page 5

BIG WORK IN GREECE

GIVEN TO BRITISH FIRM

A tribute to British engineering skill, is paid by the announcement that the Greek Government has confirmed a £2,250,000 contract for land reclamation by the' Sheffield company, Henry Boot and Sons,. Ltd., says the "Daily Telegraph and Morning Post." The area involved is as big as Yorkshire— 3,719,994 acres.

Surveying and estimating were begun eight years ago by the company's engineers, with Sir Murdoch Mac Donald, who was responsible for the Aswan Dam protective works, acting as consultant. Construction is expected to last seven years.

The work is in the provinces of Thessaly, Epirus, and Boeotia in Greece, and Platania in Crete. Rivers are being widened and deepened, their banks strengthened, canals dug, gorges widened, and water held up in. the hills to be fed down for irrigation.

Thousands of square miles, now under water, will \ used when reclaimed for agriculture. One great area is being drained by a tunnel 2£ miles long cut through a mountain. Some of the minor work is being sub-let to Greek contractors.

Many interesting civil engineering problems are involved, and the completion of the task should be an outstanding achievement of British organisation and skill.

•The preliminary work done so far is in itself an achievement of transport in the face of bad roads, marshes, weak bridges, and lack of conveyance. The chief engineer, Mr. R. S. Wilkinson, states that in spite of such obstacles 550 tons of machinery, in pieces weighing up to 20 tons, have been taken 80 miles without accident from Preveza to Belsista. The ,only means of transport were two lorries, a tractor, and two caterpillar trailers which had seen considerable service in Macedonia.

Many of the bridges on the route were of such light construction and In such a bad state that they had to be re--'nforced with heavy timber. Eight road diversions had to be built, and sleeper crib bridges constructed to carry the heavier loads across the Louros River and other streams.

At one time it was thought to be impossible to complete the transport, as three marshes had to be crossed —one nearly five miles long, but sleeper and brushwood mattresses overcame the obstacles.

Henry Boo J and Sons are now the ©nly foreign civil engineering contrac-tors-working in Greece.