EAST COAST RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19170, 9 November 1925, Page 8

EAST COAST RAILWAY.

PROGRESS NEAR TAURANGA.

THE WAIROA RIVER BRIDGE,

TIDE AS GIRDER HOISTER.

[KY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] TAUBANGA, Saturday. Good progress is being made by the Public Works Department with the construction of the section of the East Coast Main Trunk railway from Tauranga to the Wairoa River. The platelaying is now well advanced toward the river on the Tauranga side, and is being rapidly pushed ahead. Just beyond the Wairoa River Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Company's contract commences. The railway crosses the Wairoa River practically at its mouth, and a bridge 840 ft. long is necessary. The bridge consists of 13 spans of 60ft. and two spans of 30ft. In the 16 piers there are altogether 185 piles, each of which consists of 40ft. of concrete, spliced on to 25ft. of softwood. The girders are of the ordinary standard 60ft. steel-plated type, each weighing 23 tons. The method of putting the girders into position is simple, yet interesting. The contract for floating them up the harbour and placing them on the piers was let to Mr. Brookes, the contractor for the new wharf at Tauranga. He made a start on Monday. He has two punts on which a staging has been erected. The girders are placed on top of this staging at Mount Maunganui, and are then towed to the bridge site. Arrival at the bridge site :s timed for slack water at the top of the tide, enabling them to be manoeuvred into position easily, and in a surprisingly short space of time. As soon as the girder is in * the required position two hydraulic jacks, each lifting 15 tons, quickly raise one end. The packing is withdrawn, the jacks are lowered and the girder comes into position on the bolts without a hitch of any kind. The jacks are then placed at the other end and the process is repeated. Half an hour after the punts reach th» river the girder is bolted down. The fall of the tide later frees the punts, which for a time remain jammed. Each girler is worth about £6OO. The whole of the girders should be in place by the end of the month, and all being well the rails will also be laid to the Te Puna station yard, a few chains beyond the river, by that date.