Bridge

Morobe District’s Problem Bridge

The Markham Point bridge construction, about 14 miles from Lae, NG, as it was at mid-May, 1954. Work on the bridge (by Hornibrooks Constructions, Ltd.) began about 15 months ago. but the contractors have been continually held up by bad weather and floods.

About 100 yards below the point shown in these photographs, the company built its married-quarters. They were on the bank of the river then, but subsequently the Markham changed its course, and where those quarters were is now a sweep of the river.

The experts still maintain that they chose the right spot for the bridge. But others of long residence in the district, would ' not be surprised if the Markham lived un to its reputation, changed course again, and left the engineers with a bridge but no river.

Local flooding can be coped with; most of the trouble has been caused by heavy rains in the headwaters of the river.

The piles are carried on an overhead cable which is suspended on two mighty, steel masts, one at either side of the river The butt of one mast can be seen, top right, of the third photograph. Its partner is on the bare patch on the other side of the river—shown in the same photograph.

Photographs one and two show a pile being carried on the overhead cable, and then being juggled into position by Euro peans and Markham natives, operating from a canoe. The river had no flood in it when these photographs were taken —but when there is, spills and long swims are frequent.

The engineers expected to drive piles at the rate of one per day from mid-May.

There will be 17 spans in the bridge.

H Capitaine de Fregate Colas des Francs, after a period of service as Commandant of the Marine m French Oceania, returned to France ner May Tahitien. He has been

succeeded by Capitaine de Fregate

Vauchez.

II His Excellency Governor of French ° ce a ni a. accompanied by

Messrs. Buestel, Chief of

G. Allain, Chef de Cabinet, and Di

Casterene recently made an official

tour of the Tuamotus in the Gov ernment schooner Tamara.