RAPID PROGRESS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22341, 28 May 1947, Page 4

RAPID PROGRESS

WORK AT MARAETAI NEW POWER SCHEME DRILLING OF TUNNELS Work on the development of the hydro-electric scheme at Maraetai has been going ahead rapidly in the past few months. With the virtual completion of the Karapiro hydro-electric station large numbers of workers have been transferred to the new township of Mangakino. which will become the main administration centre for the Maraetai and Whakamaru projects. Roads loading to the township have been improved to cope with the heavy traffic for the transport of men and materials to the dam site and new roads to give access to the gorge are being constructed. The drilling of the diversion tunnel is one of the major works at present being carried out at Maraetai. The tunnel, which will form a curve about 2000 ft. long and will be 25ft. in diameter. has been excavated for about 110 ft. at the inlet end and 200 ft. at the outlet. . , Three large camps for workers on the scheme are already in use. and the site for a fourth has been prepared. Several houses ' are under construction at Mangakino and some have beeTl brought from Karapiro by road. About 500 acres of timber which will be submerged by the lake waters is to be milled at Mangakino to provide building materials.