Progress With Awahuri Bridge

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

Progress With Awahuri Bridge

PIERS COMPLETED, DECKING HALF FINISHED

Despite setbacks from an unusual number of floods in the river, the contractor, Air. W. Robertshaw, has made good progress with the construction of the new ferro concrete bridge across the Oroua river at Awahuri. Tho piers are all in position and the decking on one half laid. Workmen are now rushing on with the decking of tho other half so that should an emergency arise such as the washing away of tho temporary structure carrying traffic at the present | time, there will bo no vehicular holdups. This particular work should be completed in about four weeks. The contractor will then turn his attention to the ballustrading, oic. Speaking to “The Times’’ yesterday, Mr. Robertshaw said ho had beeu hampered by no fewer than ten floods iu the river, some being big ones. There had been occasions when no sooner had excavations beeu made than a flood filled them up again and tho work had to be restarted. He was quite pleased that the worst was now over. There had been 63 tons of steel used in the bridge, tho metal and sand for tho concrete being transported from the Langitikei river. >t is cheaper to do this than uso tho metal from the Oroua because at the Rangitikei river there is machinery for hauling the gravel out, whereas Air. Robertshaw would have been obliged to use the dearer method of hand labour had he secured the metal on tho site. There was also the other difficulty of the sand in the Oroua river not being suitable for Con crete work. However, from tho Oroua riverbed a traction engine and scoop are hauling Out the material requirod for filling the approach to the bridg* on the Palmerston North side. Twelve nien have been engaged continuously on the job. The total amount of concrete required is 624 cubic yards. Tho new bridge is 370 feet long aud joins on to the concrete approach on tho Awahuri side which formed part of the old bridge. This appYoacli in itself is about three chains long. Some 1250 feet of concrete piles have been used under the piers.