READY BY SEPTEMBER

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1001, 18 June 1930, Page 1

READY BY SEPTEMBER

VIADUCT TO LINK WITH RECLAIMED AREAS PROGRESS OF WESTERN END September this year will be a notable month for Auckland. The new railway station will be finished and passenger trains will be running along the waterfront to Westfield and the Harbour Board’s viaduct will be ready to link the Freeman’s Bay reclamation area with Quay Street. Excellent progress has been made with the viaduct during the past few | months. All the material is now on the job, with. the result that by the end of September or the beginning’ of October traffic will be using the new link to the oil depots. The eastern end of the viaduct, that is the extension of Quay Street, is complete except for its final coating of tar and metal. This is being finished off at present. The completed section is a splendid piece of work. Offices for the various launch and upper harbour companies have been erected at the city end and the steps lead down to the water. | These offices are a vast improvement on the odd collection which once did duty near the old vehicular ferry landing and the old Albert Street Wharf. The eastern section is solid and acts as a berthing place for small steamers which now have better accommodation than they did before the old wharf was replaced by the viaduct. Workmen are busily engaged on the western section which begins on the Freeman’s Bay reclamation. This section is of reinforced concrete and will extend to the swing-bridge which will eventually link the two sections, but at the same time allow small vessels and timber to pass through to the timber mills and the Nelson Street Wharf. TRIPLE LINES Triple railway lines are being laid in the concrete as the western section progresses. On the eastern section they were not laid until after the main work of filling in had been finished. By the time the whole viaduct is completed the lines will be ready for immediate . use and the Railway Department will probably run its trains across to the oil area as soon as the structure is ready for traffic. This will save an immense amount of time as oil shipments for rail transport will be placed on the trucks from the oil tankers instead of having to be transhipped on to lorries and taken to the goods yard. Motors and other vehicular traffic will also save time by using the viaduct instead of having to make the journey round by Fanshawe Street. By the time the viaduct is finished the Auckland waterfront will be almost a series of straight lines. Quay Street will then extend from Campbell’s Point right through to the reclaimed areas of Freeman’s Bay. Even now the view from Campbell’s Point is impressive. It will be even more so when the viaduct is finished. Another feature which will alter the ; appearance of the waterfront will be the new port buildings which will be started shortly. These will vie with the Ferry Buildings for pride of place as the most impressive structure in the shipping area.