Railway Bridge to Become Road Bridge

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 151, 29 June 1938, Page 4

Railway Bridge to Become Road Bridge

BIG SCHEME AT KAKARIKI Considerably improved road facilities will bo made available when tho now railway bridge over the Rangitikei river is completed at Kakariki, a few miles north of Halcombe on the Alain Trunk line. Tho work of building the foundations for the fabricated steel structure, which has beeu in progress for about 18 months, is nearly finislied and then the Railway Department will be able to take over ana go ahead with the steel work which is not expected to be a lengthy job. The construction of the piers has beeu undertaken by private contract and it has proved a difficult task. Four of these are finished and they are 46 feet deep. Built of concrete, they are of massive proportions and the steel and concrete in each weighs 500 tons. Two are somewhat larger than the others. Placed in the middle of the riverbed they go down 54 feet. Owing to the tremendous water pressure it was found imperative to use air Jocks in order to seal the first live feet of each cylinder and in the case of the deepost a pressure of 30 pounds of air to the square inch was necessary. In tho rest about 21 pounds was found to bo sufficient. Altogether there will bo live 120 feet spans with an abutment 40 lent in length. An average of 12 men have been employed aud tho contractor is Mr. Al. G. Templetou, of Wellington. When the Alain Highways Board assumes ownership of tho old railway bridge two level crossings will be eliminated as well as the removal of the Ganger attendant upon both the rail and road traffic using tho same structure. A small deviation lias beOn effected in the road line on the Palmerston North side of the bridge, but more extensive alterations have been undertaken on the northern approaches. As the road comes dowu the hill from Greatford a bad bend has disappeared at the foot and instead of going ovei the railway line, traffic will go on to the bridge from the left hand side of the line.

As part of the general scheme for easing difficult curves on the railway line a new track is being made down the hill to the new Kakariki bridge which will improve the climb into the Greatford station and the station itself is to be shifted about a quarter of a mile on the Wanganui side of a new road ramp that is finished at tho entrance to the yards. Workmeu are at present busily engaged in filling the approaches to this ramp which will mean the end of another level crossing.