MAKATOTE VIADUCT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 216, 5 June 1908, Page 6

MAKATOTE VIADUCT.

THE WORK. FINISHED. "PROBABLY THE LARGEST IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE." [BY TEI.EGUAFH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION".]. Christchurch, June' 4. Nows has been received by Anderson's, Ltd., from. Makatote, that the last girder of the viaduct was placed 1 in position yesterday, which practically .finishes tho Malcatote viaduct. The contract was let on Juno 15,. 1005, but 'it was not until June 25, 1006, that operations 1 , connected with tho manufacture, of tho steel., structure could be started. Owing to the diiiiculties of transit by rail and road to the -site, it was impossible for the work to be started 'until, the above mentioned date. This via : duct is probably the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. It consists of fivo braced steel piers of the following heights from concrete base to top of hand rail One, 240 ft.; one', 208 ft.; one, 175 ft. ;■ and two, 110 ft.; while tho structure from the unci of the creek, to the top of tho rail is about 2Goft. The highest pier, including concrete abutments,..is about 270 ft. , The main girders (ten in number) connecting the piers are each 100 ft. These were built and riveted up Complete, and then launched out en masse into position. Tho time occupied in launching these girders into placo varied, but on one occasion it was performed in an hour and a quarter. This difficult oporation could not'have been performed except by the aid of the' powerful steam ma-, chmsry and good organisation brought to bear by tho contracting engineer, Mr. Andrew Anderson. , Some idea of the magnitude of tho piers may be formed from a comparison of the height of tho cathedral spiro, which is 210 ft. high to tho top of the cross. The Government asked the contractors to complete this work in two years, and it is understood that they informed that "that was quite impossible. Tho contractors, however, expected to complete the work at , the end of last March, and it is almost certain that they could have accomplished it in less time had they not come to some rotten foundation causing extra excavations and a considerable addition of concrete. The effect of this was to throw the wholo of tho erecting machinery on to concrete work, whereas it was intended that tho concrete should bo done before the steel work was required to ho erected. The erection iron work was thus seriously delayed. Messrs. Andersons, while doing Makatote, also made at Makatote, tho Manganui-a-te-ao Bridge of two 120 ft. spans, the'Mangaturuturu Bridge of two 100 ft. spans, and a crock bridge of two 20ft. spans, and one 30ft. span. The creek bridge and the Mangaturuturu'Bridges' are erected, and the material for the Manga-nuo-a-tc-ai Bridgo is all at the site courso of orection. (