KARAKA.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 153, 7 March 1916, Page 4

KARAKA.

KARAK.VS NEW BRIDGES

INTERESTING PARTICLEiRS. The folio wing aro particulars of the two new bridges recently erected for the Karaka Road Board, the opening ceremony of which is to he performed in due course by the Prime Minister (the Right lion. W. F. Massoy) viz :

The Ilingaia Bridge has been open for traffic for some months. It is built on the same scale as the other, but is much longer ;> about 1370 feet, with 12 span, the middle one about 3") feet. It also has a wall at each end, In consequence chiefly of the swift current and deep water—over 1G foot at low tide—this bridge was a much more difficult one to build than the other. In the case of the Whanganiaire there is an easy current and the tide was right out. In preparing to lay down the piles it was simply a mattor of digging holes 0 feet or so deep in fairly dry mud and then putting in the foundations. In the Ilingaia bridge the steel rods had to I>o driven into the rock, hollow rasings put down outside them, and the cement poured in. Fortunately there is a good bottom. Tho bridges were designed by Mr K. F. Moore, C.E, tho designer of tho Grafton aud Mangero Bridges, ajid were built by Mr F. Goodman, of Onehunga, at a contract price of £1992. Tho cost of tho bridges and incidental expenses connected with the works is distributed as follows: Karaka Land Company, £lOllO ; Government, X for £ subsidy, £IOOO ; Karaka Road Board, loan f-om tho State Guaranteed Advances Department of £3850, secured by a special annually recurring rate of 1\ 1 in the £ on the capital value over a special rating area valued at approximately £f>U,OOU. The interest nnd sinking fund £■') 12s 2d per cent are to ba share! in the following proportions : —Karaka Road Board, 60 per cent; Papakura Town Board, 30 per cent, provided their annual contribution does not exceed £SO ; Franklin County Council, 10 per cent.

Tho Whangamaire bridge, the second and smaller of the two ferro concrete bridges undertaken by the Karaka Road Board, was finished more than a week ago. Tho approaches are now being filled ia and the bridge will probably be open for traffic within tho next two weeks. Tho length of the bridge is about 200 ft ; breadth, inside, loft ; outride, 171 ft; height above ordinary spring tide, about 13'. ft ; for six spans ; live sets of piles, three in each, Kiin square, braced half way up with cross beams, aud a wall <iin thick at each end, strengthened with piles tho sumo dimensions as the rest. The piles are built on solid concrete bases, -1 ft square, which makes tho bridge very strong. Tho largest span is 30ft and some inches.