LONGEST IN DOMINION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19897, 27 March 1939, Page 6

LONGEST IN DOMINION

NEW RAKAIA BRIDGE OPENING BY MINISTER (Per Pross Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. The Minister of Public Works, the Plon. R. Semple, on Saturday officially opened a new traffic bridge across the Rakaia. Tne occasion is of great 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, being 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 main highways fund entirely, and the Highways Board deserved credit for the provision of such a fine structure. With the old bridge, there had been occasions when road traffic was much inconvenienced. It had taken motorists as long as an hour to trail a flock of sheep across the bridge, and every motorist in Canterbury could recollect being held up to await the passing of trains. Those days had passed. MQLYNEUX SPANNED BRIDGE AT CLYDEVALE ()0-YEAR DREAM REALISED (Pur Press Association.) DUNEDIN, this day. The dream of Clutha Valley settlers for more than 60 years was realised on Saturday afternoon when a punt that has provided the only means of crossing the Molyneux River at Clydevale during all that time, was superseded by a modern concrete bridge which will meet the needs of the district for very many years to come.

That it was a notable day for the district was shown by the fact that upwards of 2500 people were present for the opening of the bridge by the Postmaster-General, the Hon. F. Jones, and full justice yvas done to the occasion in the celebrations which had been arranged. With the completion of this bridge, only two punts remain on the river, one at Tuapeka mouth and the other at Paretai below Balclutha.