IMPROVED HIGHWAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 June 1938, Page 8

IMPROVED HIGHWAY

WELLINGTON TO PORIRUA NGAHAURANGA GORGE DEVIATION. PROVISION FOR TUNNEL. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Road construction involving the building of a main highway deviation through the Ngahauranga Gorge and the use of the old Main Trunk railway line from Johnsonville to a point south of Porirua as a new highway has been approved by Cabinet, the Hon R. Semple (Minister of Public Works) announced today. /'

The realignment of the Ngahauranga Gorge Road will involve the driving of at least one tunnel over 550 feet long and will shorten the present road by half a mile, cutting out many sharp bends and steep gradients. Mr Semple mentioned the rapid growth of traffic year by year and the substantial developments to be looked to in suburban expansion towards Tawa Flat. The new road through the gorge will generally follow a direct line through the spurs and along or over the stream, and its construction will necessitate the closing of the present road, so that for a time access to Wellington will be through Khandallah, or from Pahautanui to Lower Hutt. Any temporary inconvenience will be minimised, however, by expediting the work on the Gorge Road. On this road it is intended ultimately to provide for four lanes of traffic. The road from Johnsonville to Porirua is such that a safe flow of traffic is seriously hampered. The Main Highways Board included this section in its report and its suggestion that the old Main Trunk railway line be adopted for highway traffic has been approved. These works will afford employment to a large number of men for a considerable period.