FINE NEW BRIDGE.
OPENED ACROSS RAKAIA. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, March 25. The Minister of Public Works (Hon. R. Semple) to-day officially opened the new traffic bridge across the Rakaia River—an occasion of groat importance to all who use the main south highway. The bridge consists of 144 spans, each nominally 40ft in length. The bridge is the longest in New Zealand, hc/ing 5762 ft in length. A total of 8400 cubic yards of concrete and 1100 tons of steel were used, and 17,400 ft, or almost three miles and a half, of concrete piles were driven. Mr Semple said that the cost of the work was a charge on the Alain Highways Fund entireb’ and tho Highways Board deserved cerdit for the provision of such a fine structure. With the old bridge there had been occasions when road traffic was much inconvenienced and it had taken motorists as long as an hour to trail a flock of sheep across the bridge. Every motorist in Canterbury could recollect being held up to await the passing of trains. Those days had passed.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MS19390325.2.88
Bibliographic details
Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 98, 25 March 1939, Page 9
Word Count
181FINE NEW BRIDGE. Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 98, 25 March 1939, Page 9
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