THE PIPE BRIDGE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1424, 26 April 1912, Page 4

THE PIPE BRIDGE.

DIFFICULTIES SOLVED. The long-awaited warrant of the Govcr> nor authorising tho construction of tho Hutt pipe bridge and tho bridgo over tha U'aiwetu River, near by, and apportion, mg the cost as agreed upon by tho parties, was .gazetted last night. this warrant is regarded as the csson. tial luclur in putting an end to a ludi. (irons and unprofitable situation. The combined pipe and traffic bridgo over tho Hutt River is a substantial structure, of concrete and steel, designed to carry » voailwuy and the Wainui mains ol the Wellington Citv Council. The contract pii CL > of the bridgo was ,£13,500, aim it was completed about two years "rir !'.■ mv i'. lg ™ disM&rocmcnts and'legal uuncuuios, the approaches have not been made, and the bridgo remained usc

W hen the Wellington City Council deeded, a lew years ago, to build a new wit>e lor the purpose of conducting it» ~ " ' "Y" 1101 ' tho Hutt River, it as suggested by some of those interested m the oca ity that the bridge should bo so constructed as to carry traffic as well as water-pipes. Conferences were held, and a scheme was drawn up and put into an agreement, dated November 20, 1908. lie City Council, as, the principal body interested, lost no time in nutans 11« wVVTS i TIi ° C !'^S '& \\ .11. Morton) designed tho structure, a contract was let, and tho handsome bridgo which now spans the river-and does al>. solutely nothing else—was erected. Tua agreement made certain contributors responsible for part of tho cost, and threw upon the l'etono Borough Council tho duty ot extending Jackson Street, so an to form an approach to the bridge. NeiI her this approach nor that upon the further side Ims j'ct been made. The. l'otono Borough Council claimed that it was powerless to obtain the money tor making the approach until a warrant had been issued, and that it rested with the Wellington City Council, as the principal local authority, to obtain tho warrant. The, City Council, owing, prosumably, to its greater financial strength, was able to build the bridge without waiting for this formality. Curiously enough, (he agreement said nothing about an approach on tho other, or eastern, si. o of the bridge, but tho land on that tt ,i lS t,'" tll(! Jurisdiction of tho Lower Hutt Borough Council, and tho other parlies to the arrangement looked to that body to supply the connecting link betwecn the bridgo and tho Hutt-Dav's Bay fp- "i 10 couucl 'l. however, declined this burden altogether, and eventually tno Wellington City Council undertook to make the eastern approach. Now that the warrant has l>ecn gazetted, it is assumed that both approaches will shortly be made, and (ho bridge will then carry traffic and shorten the distance for veinclcs from Pel ono to tho western sido of the harbour by about six miles. ■The City Council has begun to lay tho water mains along tho bridge, and will shortly call fgr tenders for the erection ot the comparatively small bridge across the Wanvetu Stream. The road from tins bridgo to the Hnlfc-Dny's Bay Road is to be made by the Gracefield Park Estate Co., of which Mr. P. ,T. Nathan is the representative.. Some legal formalities concerning tho line of tho • road in the vicinity of the main bridge liavs yet to bo completed, but no further diffi. cully is anticipated.