Avalanche control system gets world recognition
04 Jun 2008
A world-leading system for controlling avalanches which was developed in the South Island region of Fiordland has been nominated for a major international award.
The Transit New Zealand programme for State Highway 94 leading into Milford Sound will contest the International Road Federation Global Achievement Awards to be judged in the United States next month.
Developed 25 years ago, the programme is one of only two in the world to use helicopters to aerially release explosives to cause an avalanche, which can then be safely cleared.
It is run for Transit by contractor Downer Edi Works, whose key people with the programme, Wayne and Ann Carran, developed the system after Mr Carran's friend and fellow road worker Robert Andrew was killed on the road by an avalanche in 1983.
Mr Andrew was the fourth road worker to die since work started on the road in the 1930s.
Since the programme's inception in 1983, there have been no injuries as a result of avalanches and Milford Road is open nearly all year.
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