WAITANGI BRIDGE OPENED

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 31 January 1933, Page 5

WAITANGI BRIDGE OPENED

CEREMONY IN OTAGO. LARGEST SPAN OF TYPE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) OAMARU, Jan. 30. Sir James Parr formally opened today the new Waitangi, bridge over the Waitaki River at the head of the lai>e to be formed by the Waitaki dam. There was a large assemblage of residents of the locality and of members of the Waimate and Waitaki County Councils. The bridge is a concrete and sice! structure of a total length of 633 feet, with a centre span of 210 feet, and was built at a cost of £15,000. I,he centre trust span is the longest of ns type in the Dominion except when comparison is made with suspension bridges. The cutting of the ribbon was performed by Mrs. J. Bitchener and the bridge was christened “Waitangi'’ in the customary manner by Mrs. Hayes, named after the old name of the river, meaning “crying waters.” Subsequently the visitors were entertained at luncheon by the Waimate County Council. At the luncheon Sir James Parr made a speech eulogising the work of the Public Works Department and*particularly of Mr. R. H. Packwood, the engineer in charge. At the ceremony Mr. James Lenard Johnston was presented with the "Rov a I Humane Society’s bronze medal for saving the life of a fellow worxer front drowning in the Waiitaki River on August 8 last. He also received a departmental reward and a cheque today from the residents of the Waimate and Waitake Counties in recognition of his particularly Orave act. He plunged into the rushing water to rescue his companion when the water was only a few degrees above freezing point.