ANOTHER LONG TUNNEL

Hokitika Guardian, 3 July 1924, Page 3

ANOTHER LONG TUNNEL

Work was commenced last year on the longest railway tunnel in the t nited .States. This undertaking is • situated in Colorado, and will connect two points on the Denver and Salt Lake railroad, piercing the Continental Divide over which this line at present passes at an elevation of 11,000 ft. above sea-level. A length | of tunnel of 0.09 miles will be substituted for a distance by the* present alignment over the pass of 23 miles, with ;i. saving in elevation of 2400 ft. The ‘’Railway Review” states, that no fess than 41 per cent, of the operating expense!} of this railway. commonly known as the Moffat road, go in fighting snow blockades in the winter months, the bulk of this lieing connected with work in the neighbourhood of Corona, the highest point on the road. The work is planned for completion in 1920. and will make accessible a country about as big ns France, with which hitherto communication has been very restricted. It will put the whole of the products of the upper Colorado river basin into touch with the Mississppi Valiev, and is therefore expected to lead to great developments on account of the immense definitely known resources of the country which will be tapped. The mineral wealth of the region includes enormous reserves of coal, in addition in gnlil. silver, lead, dipper and zinc, oil shales, forest lands, and so on. The contract lias keen let for 3,2.70,000 dollars and work is said to be progressing at the rate of 3011 a day. Penalties and linn uses are provided for in the contract, anti any saving on tlic price and recognised profit of 140.000 dollars will lie equally divided between the contractors and the commission.