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maintenance of an additional 10 miles from Porter's Pass to the Kowai River has been taken over from the local authorities; it will cost about ,£2OO per annum. Plans have been prepared for a bridge over the Taipo River, a much-needed work. In consequence of the size of the boulders in the river bed, and the suddenness and violence of the floods, it is necessary to adopt a design similar to the one for the Grey "at Cobden, already described. There will be four main spans of 110 feet, with several small ones at the end. The cylinders have been ordered from England, and tenders are now called for the supply of timber. Canterbury District. Kaikoura-Waiau Road. —The formation of the Wandell Section, of 3J miles, was completed in August, and a contract has just been entered into for metalling it. Another contract, for a further section of If miles, has also been let. The survey of the whole road has been completed for some time. Waiau Bridge. —The contract time for this work expired in January, but it is still far from completion. The delay has been caused by financial difficulties met with by the original contractor. The contract has, however, been, transferred, and the new contractor is pushing on vigorously. Hurunui-Greta Bridge. —This bridge is being thoroughly overhauled and painted by this department, at the joint expense of the Hon. W. Robinson and the Government. Bridge over the Waiau at Hanmer Plains. —This bridge, for which a vote was taken last session, has not yet been commenced. The delay is owing to the difficulty of finding a site at which a bridge can be erected at anything like a reasonable cost. The best site is immediately above the gorge; but the river rises very much at this place, and the bottom is shingle, overlying a ledge of rocks; consequently masonry or iron cylindrical piers of a very expensive character must be adopted. With such piers long spans are a necessity; and this, in turn, makes it almost as cheap to have the superstructure of iron as of timber, there being no suitable timber anywhere in the locality. Altogether, there is not much chance of erecting a safe and permanent bridge over the Waiau at this place for less than about three times the amount in the last vote. Rakaia Gorge Bridge. —After great delay on the part of the contractor, this bridge was at length completed in November, the contract time having been exceeded by more than a year. A contract has also been prepared and tenders have just come in for a bridge over the flood channel on the southern side of the river. It is a timber structure of four spans—one of 120 feet, and three of from 19 feet to 22 feet. The two main piers are of concrete, and the others of timber framing. Otago District. Waikari-Waitati Road.—The only work done during the year by the department is the completion of small sections commenced out of the vote for 1881-82. The bulk of last year's vote has been handed over to the Waikouaiti County for expenditure, together with the necessary plans and sections for acquiring the land and carrying out the work. Maori Kaik Road. —A small balance that was available has been expended in improving the portion of the road previously made. Brighton Road. —A survey was made by this department, but the expenditure of the vote was subsequently intrusted to the Taieri County. Taieri Bridge. —A survey of the site has been made, and a design prepared, for a new bridge over the Taieri on the Main South Road. It is to replace a timber one erected in 1863, and which is now in an advanced state of decay. The new bridge is to be all of iron, except the roadway beams and flooring, which will be of timber. The piers are to be of iron cylinders filled with concrete, and the superstructure lattice-girders, carrying the roadway on the lower chords, the clear width being 16 feet. There are six spans of 80 feet, and the whole is expected to be finished for about £8,000, the amount voted last year. The order for the ironwork has been sent Home. Bridge over the Clutha at Beaumont.—Surveys and designs have been made for a bridge over the Clutha at Beaumont, to replace the one carried away by the flood of 1868. For much the same reason given in the case of the Hanmer Plains Bridge, it is necessary to adopt expensive piers, and, as a further consequence, long spans and iron girders. The river, which is rapid and deep at all times, is confined between rocks, on which masonry piers will be built. The general design of the girder is the same as the Taieri one, but the main spans are longer; there are three spans of 115 feet, and two of 58 feet 6 inches. As the vote of last year is only a grant in aid, it is proposed that the Government should import the ironwork, leaving the erection to the county. Bridge over the Clutha at Roxburgh. —This bridge is also to replace one carried away by the flood of 1868. As the water on that occasion rose to upwards of 20 feet above the highest flood level shown on the original bridge drawings, a similar structure would not suit, and, for the same reason, the old masonry, which is still standing, cannot be utilized. A new site was therefore selected a few chains further down, where the river flows in a deep rocky gorge. The bridge is on the suspension principle, 4he cables being made of steel-wire rope; the span is 270 feet.