Cobham Bridge At Wanganui Opened

Press, Volume C, Issue 29675, 20 November 1961, Page 15

Cobham Bridge At Wanganui Opened

(New Zealand Press Association)

WANGANUI, Nov. 19. A milestone in the development of State highway services in the lower North Island to meet the traffic challenge of the present and the future, was attained on Saturday afternoon, when the new Cobham bridge was officially opened by the Minister of Works (Mr Goosman). The opening of the impressive. 900 ft-long concrete bridge which spans the Wanganui river at Putiki, and the first section of the metropolitan motorway through Wanganui, was a major occasion for the city and district. Among the representative attendance were members of the National Roads Board, and members of Parliament. There was genuine regret that the Governor-General was not able to attend the opening because of other commitments, but official speakers conveyed the feelings of the district generally when they expressed pleasure that the bridge had been named after “a most popular Governor-General.” The opening ceremony was held in fine but blustery weather, on the Putiki side of the bridge. The attendance of about 600 included 200 guests headed by an official party of 20. Among those present were Mr Goosman, in his capacity as chairman of the National Roads board, and Mrs Goosman: the Minister of Works in the previous Labour Government. Mr H. Watt; the Mayor of Wanganui (Mr E. A. Millward) and Mrs Millward: members of the National Roads Board, and district members of Parliament. Mr J. O. Riddell, district Commissioner of Works at Wanganui, introduced the guest speakers. Paid For “To those of you who initially faced the problems of building the bridge—from the financial point of view—this must be a great day.” said Mr Goosman. •‘The bridge is completely paid for. and represents no responsibility on your part for the future." Referring to the fact that the new bridge had been financed by the National Roads Board, Mr Goosman said that New Zealand's system of reading finance was recognised as one of the most successful in the world “In this case it is your turn to get a bridge. It will be someone else’s turn tomorrow.” he said. Mr Goosman read a message from Lord Cobham to mark the occasion. In this, the Governor-General said he greatly appreciated the honour bestowed on him by the naming of the bridge after him. "In the last four years my wife and I have travelled the length and breadth of New Zealand, and we have

unstinted admiration for the engineers who have helped to build this country in the last 100 years,” the message said. Wanganui’s new motorway bridge was another link in the chain of progress, and he congratulated all who had shared in its construction, said the Governor-General’s message. Motorway By-pass With the opening of the bridge, a start has been made in providing Wanganui with a motorway by-pass which will carry the main route straight across the seawardside suburbs to rejoin the highway at Westmere on top of the tableland to the New Plymouth side of the city. The bridge crosses the river in the southern end of the Putiki suburb Instead of turning right to follow the river bank to the town bridge, north-bound travellers will proceed straight ahead and over the Cobham bridge, coming back on to the highway within the city after traversing some of the city’s streets. Later, a motorway will be built which will carry highway traffic straight on through the city and then angling in a long sweep up on to the Westmere flat. The Cobham bridge is 912 ft long and cost £143.000 The whole project, with approaches and other work, cost £256,000. It was designed by the Ministry of Works and built by Emmett Bros, local contractors. The bridge contains 104 miles of (mostly quarterinch) stressing wire and 90 tons of steel in its 2600 cubic yards of concrete. It took two years to build.