Hill tunnel project must “take in the people”
Swiss geotechnical expert Em Mentaler checking levels near the entrance of the proposed light-rail tunnel. Photo: Supplied.
The Takaka Hill is a geotechnical paradise according to a spokesperson for the “It’s Just a Hill - Go Through It” Society Inc.
The society is really excited about plans to create a light rail tunnel through the Takaka Hill after the recent discovery of a chain of existing underground caverns. Very little excavation would be needed to join the caverns and create an almost straight line through the base of the Takaka Hill.
“Underground transportation routes across karst country are completely invisible to the naked eye,” says Swiss geotechnical expert Em Mentaler, “but they still reveal clues to their whereabouts - just not with visible light. The human eye can detect wavelengths of light within the range of around 400 to 700 nanometres. But cameras attached to satellites and aircraft are now taking infra-red and ultraviolet shots over a much wider range of wavelengths and revealing some remarkable detail below the earth’s surface.
“Now, with commercial ultra-high resolution satellite imagery and especially with Google Earth, geotechnicians can conduct subterranean site surveys from their own offices. This is something we would have only dreamed of a decade ago.”
The proposed electric light rail system would mean that passengers take just one hour to travel from the Village Green in Takaka to Victory Square in Nelson. Of course people can still drive their cars over the Hill to Nelson, but they would not be using the tunnel.
A car tunnel is a much more complex project because of the need to vent dangerous pollution emissions, and is more expensive becaue its two lanes make it wider.
With the current trend towards eco-tourism, sustainable transportation systems and the abundance of clean, green hydro power from the Cobb Valley power station, private investors are showing a keen interest in the project.
Realising this is a very controversial topic the group will host a public meeting tonight, Friday 1 April, to discuss any concerns. The society feels it would be foolish to go ahead with a feasibility study without taking in the people of Golden Bay.
AF Day
