MOHAKA BRIDGE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19994, 20 July 1939, Page 4

MOHAKA BRIDGE

POSITION VERY ACUTE RECONSTRUCTION URGED PLANS NOT TO HAND (Special to the Herald.) WAIROA, this day. An inquiry as to whether the council proposed to proceed in the near future with the rebuilding of the Moh.>ka township bridge, was received from the Director of Education, Mr. N. T. Lambourne, at the monthly meeting yesterday of the Wairoa County Council.

It was pointed out in the tetter that parents had difficulty in persuading their children to negotiate the swing bridge to attend school during the wet weather.

The council decided to advise the Director of Education that it 'intended to rebuild the bridge as soon as the engineering plans were obtained. the consultant engineer having the plans in hand at present.

“The foot bridge is absolutely dangerous to the children,” stated Cr. W. Tait, who pointed out that people had great difficulty in walking across the bridge. He had inquired' from the engineer if one of the cables couid not be tightened so as to straighten the structure, but was informed that it couid not be done.

Cr. ,T. O’Grady, said that the settlers at Mohaka wer e becoming very uneasy. He asked what progress was being made with the plans of the bridge?

Replying, the chairman, Cr. A. T. Carroll, stated that he had been assured, during his recent visit to Wellington, that the pums were being pushed on us fast as possible.

“,I think we are holding the work up in the soundings of the river.” remarked Cr. 11. Bayly. The clerk, Mr. B. G. Signall, pointed oiil that a delay would be caused in raising the loan when the plans did come to hand.

“The urgency for the restoration of the Mbkaka bridge is very acute,” stated the chairman, who added that the engineer certainly would be instructed to take soundings of the river if that was causing the delay.

The county engineer, Mr. R. W Hawthorne, assured councillors that the reconstruction of the bridge would take place during the coming summer, and that work was to commence next week on the re-erection of the temporary suspension bridge so as to make it safe for children.