A TWO-MILE BRIDGE

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1930, Page 5

A TWO-MILE BRIDGE

MONTREAL’S;NEW HIGHWAYJf Seated at his desk in Parliament House at Ottawa, Mr Mackenzie Kingj the Prime’Minister,/inaugurated the -Montreal Harbour Bridge recently by pressing a button. This acting unfurl* ed a, Union Jack on the bridge and un« veiled; the dedication jplaques., m During the Wretfihnies at.the bridge the' Last PoeVPithdi? which deeoratel the. grayeyof Empire Day! threw a wreath Mnto-the water close to the bridge in honour of the dead .of the Navy and the Mercantile Marine. At the same time a white dove was released. , ' ■

The opening of the bridge coincided with the centenary.of: the Port of Montreal. The structure has cost £4,000,'XK> to complete."- ~ ~ , The magnitude of Canadian inland waterways is emphasised by this new great, bridge, vwhichji,, IQOQ miles from,' the the St. Lavyrehce with two^jiilies; t>f -steel and conMontreal,'.With t%. south, shore. There, as. with New' Yprk.and • Tyne, suburban towns bave sprung up, many •• of -whpse .dwellers find; employment in the .large city. But the transportation problem has i more important’ bearing,as the high •oad of the international boundary lie& i cross the river; ihe traffic has hith;rto been , accommodated only by the, roadway of the void* Grand Trunk Victoria Bridge, which added the road as in afterthought. Some- years ago a fire on the bridge compelled aH .'-the traffic to go by ferry, thus disorganising the; tourist business. ' The length. of the'bridge is 2) miles Of this length 8800 ft is steel bridgework and 200 ft is concretet -viaducts. : .The main spaji is: nea,rly ;^(fooftinclude mg the cClMlfiTsliip chttbrielspan, witli:: two nnchorianus each of - over 400fty:;; The' roadway, is iMt widtv uud will!, carry all the vehicular traffic. There*;: tire girders' for tramways,’’ which np.t. yet. been laid, and also two pedes-. tinn sidewalks. ' • («,-.

When the huge .Canadian Pacific'liner Empress of Richmond passed under the bridge, saluting as she went, she 'ooked but a small craft from the heights above, the clearness under the centre of the'bridge at high water being 162 ft. . The shipping channel is on the Montreal side of the. bridge, which midway rests on St. Helen’s Island.