Though road construction – and hence bridge building – is governed by the need to increase national production, it often opens up large areas to the tourist trade, now a not unimportant source of overseas funds. For example, the Haast Pass Road, which will connect the Southern Lakes with the West Coast glaciers, requires the building of 30 bridges between Haast and Paringa. When this is completed 74 miles of magnificently beautiful country will be opened up to visitors. The most notable bridge will be that over the wide mouth of the Haast River; it is 2,417 ft long.