KAWARAU BRIDGE

Dunstan Times, Issue 975, 24 December 1880, Page 3

KAWARAU BRIDGE

This structure, yvhioh ia on the main road from the metropolis to the Lakes, is now open for traffic, and should prove itself to be one of the greatest boons that could possibly have been conferred, not alone on the residents of the Lake District, but to the travelling public, as, by its means, let the state of the river be whatever it will, whether through copious rains or other causes, it is in flood, or a lengthened drought reducing the water in ’tho river so as to prevent the punt from working, the direct journey can now be made without the dread of the annowing stoppages .people-were subjected to when they had to depend on the punts ; and

too much credit cannot be given the Lake County Council for the outlay -large and alias it is—on th® structure. The official opening of the bridge, we believe, is to t .k; place on Thursday, the 39 hj instant, when it is hoped there will be a very large assemblage to prove by their presence their full appreciation of the benefit conferred on them. The Kawarau Bridge spans the river bearing the same name close to the Junction of the Arrow River, soma 14 miles from Arrowtown, and is built on the wire rope suspension principle, with one span 300 ft. long (the longest span, we believe, in the colonies), and at an altitude of 150 ft. above the river level. The suspension wires are 14 in number —seven on either side—and are five inches in diameter, each having a testing strain of 70 tons The towers over which the ropes pass are 27ft. high, built of a beautiful green stone obtained in the locality ami rest on the solid rock which at the spot confine the river. • The anchoring girders are built 50ft in the solid rock, consequently no amount of strain is ever likely to effect them, The roadway on either side is stiffened by a heavy truss girder Bft deep. The cost of the bridge is not ascertainable, as it formed only a part of a contract which embraced also a truss bridge across the Arrow River of 60fc span, and three miles of road works, which included side rock, cuttings 109 ft high, and block rock cuttings sixty feet deep. Tne cost of the entire contract was L 13,000 and Mr .John, M’Cormick the contractor. Mr Higgensou being Engineer and supervisor of the works. The.time occupied'over the work was otlly 15 months. The whole contract, appears, to hive been carried through in a workmanlike manner, and we have little doubt in our own mind but that the Engineer’s certificate and report will confirm this. Of one thing there can be no doubt, Mr M’Cormiok has exhibited a wonderful amount of energy in pushing through the work.