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Monday, July 3, 1972
There were two major problems in connection with this route. The most
difficult of these was dealing with existing utility services since many of
these had to be raised, but at the same time could not be disconnected or buried
under deep embankment filling until the alternative high-level route on the
embankment was available.
Interim diversions had to be implemented by the Utility Companies,
and the co-ordination of this work required great care to ensure that each
Company did not unduly interfere with the other, whilst at the same time any
delay to road construction was kept to a minimum. Existing utilities also
obstructed a new pedestrian subway which had to be built prior to the high-level
route being completed, and in this case many of the utilities had to remain in
position whilst the subway was constructed around them.
Traffic Density
The second major problem was caused by the very high density of traffic
using the existing Chatham Road. To avoid any interruption of traffic flow the
movement of plant or materials from one side of the road to the other by means
of a straight forward road crossing was not allowed. This meant that all site
traffic had to enter the normal traffic stream and thereafter follow a very
lengthy off-site route before returning to join the opposite carriage-way,
diversion of traffic from existing road onto the new high-level road had to be
arranged in two stages, with the interval between each stage taken up by completion
of embankment filling and further road construction.
The
Throughout the contract particular measures were taken to stabilise
the very high embankment fills, and despite two typhoon seasons, including the
very severe typhoon Rose, inconvenience due to rain water run-off or silt on
adjacent public roads was minimal.
The main