RAKAIA BRIDGE

OFFICIALLY OPENED

CREDIT TO HIGHWAYS BOARD

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day,

The Minister, of Public Works, Mr. R. Semple, today officially opened the new traffic bridge across the Rakaia River, the occasion being of great importance to all who use the main south highway. The bridge consists of 144 spans, each" nominally 40ft in length. The bridge is the longest in New Zealand, being 5762 feet in length..ln its construction 8400 cubic yards of concrete and 1100 tons of steel were used, and 17,400 feet, or almost three miles and a half, of concrete piles were driven.

Mr. Semple said that the cost of the work was a charge on the Main Highway Fund entirely, and the Highways Board deserved credit for the provision of such a fine structure. With the old bridge there had been occasions when road traffic was much inconvenienced. It had taken motorists as long as an hour to trail a flock of sheep across the bridge and every motorist in Canterbury could recollect being held up to await the passing of trains. Those days had passed.