HUTT BRIDGES

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 116, 14 February 1928, Page 11

HUTT BRIDGES

BOROUGH ENGINEER’S REPORT REPAIRS NECESSARY In reference to the question raised at the last meeting of the Lower Hutt Borough Council regarding the possibility of increasing the width of the footwalks on the Welling Bridge, the borough engineer (Mr. G. Bush) reported last night at the Borough Council meeting that the suggestion was feasible, but, in his opinion, quite unwarranted when cost was considered against the benefits to be derived therefrom. The work could be done by stripping the decking and replacing every other cross bearer by longer bearers, which could then carry a footwalk some 6in. wider. The bridge had now been erected some 20 years, and while the cables were still in excellent condition, much of the ironwork was decidedly rickety. There was no camber on the bridge, but instead a definite sag. Most of the suspension span timber was still in good condition, but the timber in shore bays was badly and extensively dry rotted — that on the west side requiring entire replacement. The cables were being tightened to restore the camber, without which the bridge could not be regarded as safe, and ironwork and timber, _ which was considered dangerous, was being replaced. ' No attempt would be made to do more than necessary to make things safe on, say, a five years basis, for work of a more permanent nature would, firstly, be much more expensive, and, moreover, was not called for, since this very narrow and somewhat light structure had overreached the limit of its useful life. The bridge could, of coufse, be repaired, but a wider and heavier bridge, capable of carrying ordinary traffic, was now essential at this point, and the expense of heavier repairs than those in hand was scarcely warranted. The estimated cost of the work in hand was £2O0 —£250. New Hutt Bridge. Work on the new bridge at Lower Hutt, reported the engineer, has progressed as follows. —44 piles have been driven to date, 16 piles in the eastern abutment, 17 piles in No. 7 pier, and 11 piles in No. 6 pier. The eastern abutment face and wing walls have been concreted up to the level of the bottom of the main bridge girders. The reinforced concrete cap has been placed on the piles in No. 7 pier, and the steel and boxing for the columns and web wall in this pier are now being put up. The false work to, carry the boxing for the girders, beams, and deck of No. 7 span has been erected. Melling Suspension Bridge. The engineer stated that the Melling Buspension bridge had been examined, and found to be in a bad si?lte of repair. (Repairs were started immediately, and are still in progress. “As the work was opened up, these repairs were found to be more extensive than the preliminary investigations _ indicated, but when completed, the bridge will be in a thoroughly sound condition, and good for another period of years. The main spar is in fair order, but requires overhauling, and the cables and suspension rods and main truss tightened up. The approach on the west bank was in a dangerous state, and most of the piles and stringers have had to be renewed. The decking and joists are in fair order, but the decking requires overhauling, and some planks replaced/’