ROAD REOPENED

Hokitika Guardian, 1 November 1930, Page 3

ROAD REOPENED

LYE'LL TO MURCHISON

lßj Telegrupb—Press Association;

NELSON, October 31

'llie liist general traffic to travel over the Buller George Read between Murchison and Lyell, since the earth quake on June 17th last year, will go over an improved and reconstructed road .to-morrow, from which date the highway lias been declared officially open for- public use. For some sixteen months-(traffic between the northern end of the island and the West Coast has been diverted to the Maruia valley route, which has entailed the travelling of longer distances over poor, roads, . and the: consequent greater travelling time over a less interesting route.

Although sixteen mouths seem a long time, when the extent of the work is considered a tribute must be paid to the Public Works Officials lor having the route reopened as soon as they have. On a. large section of the route, it was not a matter of clearing and restoring the old highway, hut the making of an absolutely new road to replace the old one, which was obliberated by landslides. The work has been well done, and the result is a wide, safe, easy graded road. What was originally little more than a mountain track, is now a highway of standard width, with banked corners oh which it is easy for vehicles to pass as they can on any portion of the road. It is probably that the earthquake proved a blessing in disguise, so far as though access to the AVest, Coast from the northern end of the South Island is concerned, as the Buller Rood would probably have been left in its original state for years to come.