NEW BRIDGE

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1931, Page 5

NEW BRIDGE

OPENED IN AHAURA. The opening ceremony of the- newt bridge across the Ahaura River on the Greymouth-Reefton main highway was held in the Ahaura Hall on 'Saturday, when a model of the’’bridge,' erected on the stage- was formally opened, Mrs J. Higgins, wife of the-Grey County engineer, cutting the tape. 1 ■ ■ Mr T. A. Johnston, Public Works engineer, gave some interesting particulars concerning the . bridge, which is 720, feet' in length, ' ahj consists of twelve 60 feet steel plate girder spans resting on ironbark, pile piers. The width of . roadway between wheel guards is 12 feet with, the exception of a wide central span (18 feet between wheel guards). Each pier.„>yith the exception of pne abutment consists of five ironbark piles below the -surface of the stream, and in, order to stiffen the piers and provide against floating timber during floods, piers are providing with nosing pieeeg and sheated : with hardwood timber fropi water level to 3 feet below cap. Sixty-five piles of. s a 'total lepgth of 2740 feet were used.' On account'of hard sandstone, it was found impossible to drive piles for the abutment on the southern end, and a concrete sill .wan, placed in the bottom of ; an excavation about IB feet deep. 'Stud , piles, were then placed and the excavation filled in round* the piles. The following quantities of materials were used during the construction ; 8740 lineal feet of ironbark piles, hardwood timber 120,700 super feet, steel plate girders ISO tons, general ironwork 18,3001 b, bituminous carpet -1000 square yards, , approaches .5343 cubio yards earth filling, 564 cubic, yards of metal. The total cost of The . work' was £14,554 made up as follows Structure, Mr T. Dillons contract £13,571; approaches, Messrs- Mpuaii and Richards’s contract £663; bituminous car- . pet £320; total £14,554. ,' V ' '.j': Great credit is due to the contractors for the expeditious and efficient manner in which the work has been carried out. L \r- ' ' ■: V

' Messrs, 'W. Clayton, fJ. . Mulcare, "... J. Higgins and’Ji RyaJl’ congratulated the people of Ahaura * on v the' ; completion of ' the bridge which was badly needed and thanking : ■ Mrv Johnston, 1 .. Publ; c Works engineer, for; the interest"’ he had shown-,- in . helping -the. ..County Council to x get -the necessary -money for the bridge placed on \ the - esti* mates :*../, ; •- ■>