CRITERION BRIDGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5166, 17 August 1927, Page 3

CRITERION BRIDGE.

STEADY CONSTRUCTION WORK.

PROVISION OF NEW DRAIN.

A scene of great activity prevails at the site of the new traffic bridge over the Ohinemuri River at Paeroa. A large amount of machinery of different kinds is in use; and there are two separate gangs of men employed at top pressure. Since progress was last reported ■ jjthe first of the land piers has been ©n the Te Aroha side of the river, and the work of driving the piles for the last pier is now well in ha.nd. The deep excavation necessary for the huge concrete abutment is also practically ready. All the piles in the river have been driven, and the last river pier is- al--4 ino«t completed. When this is fin- ■ ‘ ished the structure will be ready to receive the steel girders on the top of the super-structure. The work of erection has been considerably retarded on account of the damage done by the last flood in the river. Through the rise> in the river a great deal of the excavation work became silted up to a fair depth, and much of the boring done by the “orange-peel” grub had to be done a second time. There was a fair amount of damage done by ,w'ay of scour to the Te Aroha Road end of the excavations, and heavy timber had to be used to stiffen up the bank and make the road near the approach to the existing bridge safe for traffic. The approach to the new bridge will be some distance down-stream from the present approach, and to enable the roa.d to be constructed it has been necessary to provide a new 9ft wide and 9ft deep outfall drain, on account of the old one coming into the road line. A diversion of about 15ft is being made, and when completed the spoil will be utilised to fill in the old drain. A feature in the construction of the drain is that it is necessary to tunnel under the stop-bank for a distance of about 75ft, and then lay ISin concrete pipes from the mouth of the . tunnel to the river-side. This work, ' which is being carried out by experienced miners, has to be heavpy timbered as the driving progresses. By means of the tunnel the stop-bank and the road which passes along the top of it will not be disturbed. The total length of the new drain is a little ever one chain.