OVERHEAD BRIDGE AND DEVIATION

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 102, 17 May 1937, Page 6

OVERHEAD BRIDGE AND DEVIATION

Danger ous Crossing To \Be Eliminated NORTH OF WAIPUKURAU * To eliminate one of the North Island 's dangerous level crossings, * reinforced concrete overhead bridge i» now being erected to cross the rafiway line threequarters of a inile on the Wai- - pawa side of Waipukurau. The work, to cost nearly £4000, will take about three months to complete. It involves • deviation of the road on the southern side for which some 16,000 cubic yards of metal will be required. The Public Works Department reeently let the bridge contract to Mr. J. M. Olsen, of Napier, who now hae seven men on the job under the supervision of Mr. M. J. Pennefather, foreman of works. Another tender is to be let by the Public Works Department for the erection of the two approacheg and the road deviation. The new bridge will be 200 feet long, having four spans, each of 50 feet. There will be a clearanee of 20 feet for railway trains, and the width of the bridge 's roadway will be 24 feet. Concrete hand-rail panels are to b« erected on each side of the bridgej whieh will not require a separate footpath for pedestrians. The bridge will cross the railway ia two curves, and each bend will have • slight cant, like a speedway track. Th« railway line will run underneath the centre of the bridge diagonally., There being no water laid on at. the locality, the contractor wiR have to sink a bore to procure 'axtesian r/a-cr. This will be cheaper. than carting u-. At present this crossing is a p'articularly dangerous one, for the road winds on to the railway suddenly, the line from the south rounding a curve to meet the road suddenly. When the bridge is completed, cars will be able to negotiate the crossing in perfect safety without having to slow down.