BULLER RAILWAY
Delay in Work SHORTAGE OF TRADEMEN. CHRISTCHURCH, December 2.. Ten bridges have still to be erected on the Inangahua-Westport railway line and the shortage of Tradesmen is now threatening a_delay in the completion of the new line. Sections of the work were inspected by the Minister for Public Works (the Hon R. Semple) and Mi' John Wood (Engineer-in-Chief . of the Public Works Department). The Minister ascribed the delay in construction to, first, the shortage of steel (which had since been overcome), and, second, to the insufficient supply of skilled workers.
“Making allowance for these causes of delay, the work is progressing wonderfully well,” said Mr Semple. The Buller river bridge, below Inangahua, is now in the last stage of construction. Of the 11 bridges on the line, 10 are classed as major construction, and the Inangahua bridge is the biggest. At one stage, it was thought (that the sinking of the cylinders for this bridge would cause a hold-up but they_ were sunk without any pronounced difficulties. . The cylinders are on a foundation of hard papa at depths varying from 35 feet to 70 feet below the bed of the river. The cylinders are 50 feet above normal water level and 10 feet above the highest flood level. The bridge has a span of 750 feet. The earthwork along the 275 miles of the route from Westport was well ahead, the Minister reported, but the bridge work would, hold up the opening of the railway.
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Bibliographic details
Grey River Argus, 3 December 1938, Page 11
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247BULLER RAILWAY Grey River Argus, 3 December 1938, Page 11
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