WAIAPU CONQUERED.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 15 December 1925, Page 9

WAIAPU CONQUERED.

BRIDGED AFTER MANY YEARS,

A HISTORY OF DISASTER. After a number of previous disastrous and expensive attempts, spread over a long period of years, tiie vv'aiapu river which flow's into the sea a few miles south of East Cape, has been bridged, the final span of the new structure across the river at Tikitiki being finally secured the other, day. The work on the present structure has extended over a long period and has been fraught with much anxiety, but it is now thought that all the difficulties have been overcome and that it is only a matter of weeks before the bridge will be open for traffic, although the official opening will probably he performed by the Prime Minister (the Hon. J. G. Coates) some time in February. The bridge has been constructed of four spans on cylindrical concrete piers, each span having been built ashore and hauled out into position on temporary staging. The progress of the work has been watched with keen interest, the completion of each span occupying some months of continuous labour. The history of the endeavours to conquer the Waiapu goes back nearly 20 years. The AVaiapu County Council first constructed a bridge at Tikitiki, but within a few days of being opened it was overtaken with disaster, the river rising to a great height and undoing all the work. The task was then taken over by the Public Works Department. The deck of the bridge was raised some feet, and the structure itself extended to provide greater security. Even these added precautions, however, proved unavailing, and once again the elements conquered, the access to the bridge being washed away and the work was abandoned. About the same time efforts were made _ to construct a bridge higher up the river at Rotolcautuku, hut' before this had proceeded to any great extent the piers were so badly damaged by a flood that the work wap abandoned. It was resumed on a slightly different site a few years ago, it being decided on this occasion to utilise cvlindrical piles, which were sunk some distance into the solid, rock and then filled with concrete. TJp to the present these piers have withstood all floods, and it is confidently believed that the Waiapu has now been finally and effectively bridged.