NEW RAKAIA BRIDGE
FIRST USED TO-DAY NO SPEED RESTRICTION (Pat Press Association.) CHRISTICHUIR-’CH, this day. Without any ceremony, the . new railway bridge over the Rakaia River was opened to traffic for the first time to-day. The bridge is the longest railway structure in ,New Zealand, being 5720 ft. The change-over from the 00-year-old .wooden structure was made between the passage of the -ChristchurchInvercargill express at 9.56 a.m. and the mixed train .from Ashburton, which passed over the new bridge at 12.30 p.m. Once the customary precautions are Observed in regard to the passage of trains over the newlyconstructed lines there will be no speed restriction over the ,nevv bridge. The trains 'will be able to travel at a normal speed of 50 miles an hour, compared with the maximum speed of 20 miles an bour allowed on the old bridge. The new bridge, which was originally estimated to icost £85,000, has been built a .short distance upstream from the existing wooden structure.
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Bibliographic details
Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20119, 13 December 1939, Page 7
Word Count
162NEW RAKAIA BRIDGE Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20119, 13 December 1939, Page 7
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