THE ASHBURTON TRAFFIC BRIDGE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 684, 10 July 1882, Page 2

THE ASHBURTON TRAFFIC BRIDGE.

The following letter has been addressed to the Minister for Public Works by Mr E. G. Wright, M.H.R., for Ashburton :

Wellington, 7th July, 1882. Sir, — When, eight years ago, the Government undertook to build over the Ashburton river a bridge to combine both the road aud tire railway traffic the population of the locality was scarcely one-tenth of what it is at present, and the Provincial Government contributed about L 9,000 towards the cost of the railway bridge upon condition that provision should be made for the road traffic. This was an error of judgment, which has been regretted ever since by those who were parties to it. The rapidly increasing population of the town of Ashburton and the surrounding districts makes the inconvenience of the combined bridge more severely felt every day. The detention of drays and other vehicles for the passage of trains which are not always punctual, is a serious loss of time to the public, and a source of danger also arising from the rush of traffic after the bridge has been kept closed for twenty minutes or upwards, for trains crossing six, eight, or ten times a day, according to the season. Owing, also, to the grooves alongside the rails (which grooves run from end to end of the bridge) many accidents have occurred by the breakage of buggy wheels and axles, owing to the wheels becoming nipped in the grooves. Feeling the necessity for making better provision for the traffic, the Ashburton County Council proposed to the Government in 1880 to construct a separate bridge for the road traffic, provided the Government would contribute for that purpose one half the amount originally paid by the district towards the cost of the present structure, and I again bring the subject under the consideration of the Government, in the hope that they will now make provision for a new bridge. The Government would save the cost of the two gate-keepers, and the cost of repairs to the decking of the present bridge, which, upon enquiry, will_ be found to represent the interest and sinking fund upon the money required. —I hive, Ac., Edward G. Wright.