An engineer was engaged to undertake the design for the bridge over the Rakaia River and to proceed with construction immediately.

[4] Worked ceased in the following year when it was decided to make the bridge a combined one for both road and rail traffic.

[5] The Christchurch engineer William Bayley Bray (1812–1885) suggested that the spans could be reduced to 6.1 metres (20 ft), to which the provincial council agreed.

John Blackett peer reviewed the plans on behalf of central government and recommended transverse joists and longitudinal planking.

The contractor instead recommended transverse planking directly onto the girders with a 127 millimetres (5.0 in) asphalt cover, to which the provincial engineer agreed.

[3] A Royal Commission found fault with all parties but laid most blame with the provincial engineer, and the bridge deck had to be rebuilt.

[9] In June 1931, the Railway Department informed the Main Highways Board that it would increase the charges for the Rakaia Bridge.

This resulted in the Main Highways Board to start investigations for a new exclusive road bridge, which finished in March 1933.

[12] The Main Highways Board proposed to recover some 12% of the construction cost from three adjacent counties: Ashburton, and Ellesmere.