THE LOW LEVEL BRIDGE.

Putaruru Press, Volume II, Issue 50, 2 October 1924, Page 2

THE LOW LEVEL BRIDGE.

COMPLETION IN ABOUT THREE WEEKS. Steady progress is being made with the construction of the low-level bridge across the river below the power-house site, eight to ten rivetters being engaged there, and it being expected that the bridge will be open for traffic in another three or four weeks’ time. On the road approach at the Te Awamutu side the filling of a deep gully on the island is now proceeding, a gang being at the work with small trolleys. They blast away the rock face and shoot most of the spoil therefrom into the gully. This hollow should very soon be filled to road level. There is another small party engaged further up on the road, and these should soon complete their task. Then the whole roadway from the bridge will be ready for metalling. The top, or spillway, bridge is progressing towards completion. The workers have little more than one span of girders to place and then the decking, siderails and approaches to the bridge have to be finished. Metalling is also going on from this bridgehead. The road is now fenced from the new formation on Messrs. Dingle and Hales’ property up to the deep cutting near the spillway bridge. The girders for this bridge were carted from Putaruru by motor tractor in the same way as those for the river bridge. They were then swung across the gorge by the aerial cable at the dam site, and taken by trolly, on wooden rails, up to the bridge site. Some excitement occurred one day recently, when the end of one of the girders dropped from the cradle as it was being swung across the gorge on the ropeway, and the huge girder threatened to plunge to the river 150 feet below. However, the other end held, and careful handling saved the situation.