RESTRICTIONS ON WOODEN BRIDGE TO BE TIGHTENED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 8, 6 July 1949, Page 5

RESTRICTIONS ON WOODEN BRIDGE TO BE TIGHTENED

It was not until the Edgecumbe bridge was in a very precarious and unsafe state that the Main Highways Board came to any decision to build a new bridge, declared the chairman, Mr J, L. Burnett, at the month-

ly meeting of the Whakatane County Council yesterday. Then the old bridge was handed over to the County to be responsible for in exchange for the Te Teko

hill highway, he added. The council was agitating for years for a new bridge Mr Burnett continued. The Board deferred decision time and time again until they were practically forced to agree to a new structure. The old bridge was then the responsibility of the Board and when it was handed to the Council it was in a very poor state. “From that I don’t think that the County can be blamed for the present unsafe state of the bridge,” Mr Burnett pointed out. Steady Deterioration

Concern was felt by councillors at the steady deterioration of the bridge, and it was revealed by the engineer, Mr C. H. Brebner, that it had been closed for temporary repairs but he hoped to have it open by tonight. Mr Burnett said that the position had gradually got worse until the engineer was forced to close the bridge. Despite the protests of the Edgecumbe people, he felt that buses should not be allowed to use it.

After discussion by the council it was decided that after the repairs had been finished the only traffic allowed to use the bridge would be cars, four head of cattle at once, and empty trucks with special permits to be obtained from the county engineer. In all cases the bridge was to be used at the users’ own risk. Speed would be restricted to 10 miles per hour and vehicles would have to change to low gear before they entered onto the bridge. If these restrictions are not obeyed offenders are to be prosecuted. Cost of Repairs

It would cost about £6OO to strengthen the structure, Mr Burnett said. The council had decided to go ahead with the work and had applied for a £3 for £1 subsidy from the Main Highways Board. At present the only thing that appeared to be keeping the bridge up were water pipes. The matter had to be faced and as soon as the work was sanctioned it would be gone ahead with. Even then it would not be possible to remove the restriction signs. To do this would mean rebuilding the bridge entirely. “The Edgecumbe people are getting a new bridge and they will have to put up with some inconvenience until it is completed,’ ’he added.

Cr D. C. Butler: The bridge is rotten. They must realise that.

Cr W. Hunter: We will have to do something to make the bridge last. The only way out appears to be to restrict loading and speeding, but even then we cannot move the signs. Might Save Loss of Life

Cr A. F. McGougan said he did not realise the bridge was so' bad. Restricting heavy traffic might be the way of saving a possible loss of life.

Mr Burnett: I think we might restrict the axle loading. Mr Brebner: The bridge is very dangerous for anything but very light traffic. Loaded cream trucks should not, in my opinion, be allowed to use it.

“I am quite convinced now that the bridge should be rebuilt,” Cr R. C. Leslie remarked.

Cr McGougan said he thought that the Rangitaiki Dairy Factory should.be the only traffic to be considered to use the bridge.