NEW RAILWAY BRIDGES

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29273, 3 August 1960, Page 14

NEW RAILWAY BRIDGES

Big Job In Span Placing

The foundation-laying contract at the new Selwyn river railway bridge has been completed. It is expected that Railways Department workmen will begin placing the 27 40ft steel spans in about a month, according to the District Civil Engineer (Mr G. Shritnpton). Th* spans are now in the Addington railway workshops where they were made. Apart from the piers, the new bridge will be identical to the recentlyopened Waimakariri river bridge. It is slightly off-set with the old bridge, and some rails will have to be put in to bring it into alignment’with the tracks. The bridge is expected to be finished late next month.

Another railway bridge under construction, the Kowai viaduct, is expected k> be finished in six to nine months. It will replace the viaduct washed away in 1951. : The earthwork on the approaches to this bridge is nearly finished. The piles are being cast off the site and they will be put in soon. Placing the spans on the viaduct promised to be a big and spectacular job, said Mr Shrimpton. There were six 80ft spans, two 66ft spans, and one 60ft span. The 80ft spans weighed 36 tons each, and the distance from the spans to the riverked would be 66ft Work on the Ashley river bridge was progresrtig steadily, and it should be finished in about a year, said Mr Shrinfeton.