The Hutt News THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1929. NEW WORKS.

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 4, 20 June 1929, Page 7

The Hutt News THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1929. NEW WORKS.

Two matters of considerable interest to the borough weTe mentioned at Tfcie last meeting of Council, although neither of these matters was actually /under discussion. The first of these was "in connection with Melling Bridge —its present condition, and its prob-. able further lease of usefulness. During the recent election campaign this •question was first introduced "by Councillor Meßain when speaking at the public meeting in Knox Schoolroom, and that councillor "gave'it as his opinion that the time tad. arrived when a concrete and modern pier bridge should be erected to replace" the present suspension bridge. When the existing bridge was built no doubt it .was quite adequate for the then small amount of traffic, mostly, if not entirely, horsedrawn vehicles as well 'as a . small amount of pedestrian traffic by thosewofkers for whose benefit and convenience Melling Station was put up. Today conditions^ have entirely changed and the bridge carries a very large amount of motor traffic in addtion to several hundreds of those going to and from the railway station. Unfortunately the borough engineer was, owing to indisposition, absent from the meeting when the question was asked,\ }5u% one of the councillors stated that although the brdge. question had been considered by the Works Committee and reported on to that committee, it had not been before the Council. However, it was stated that only for a short period could the bridge 'be regarded as satisfactory, so, we think the time is opportune for the "Hutt News' * to urge that the question of. the erecton of an up-to-date .bridge be seriously considered by Council; that the engineer s»hbuld.be asked to proceed at once with the prepartion' of plans and specifications, and also fur-

nish an estimate of the cost, It will

then toe for the Council to lay the I matter before the ratepayers arid bring :. the whole question to a definite conclusion." The question of site for the bridge was introduced by Councillor Grierson and this may be a matter demanding carefuL, enquiries. If the bridge can, ,in a different position, better serve tiie residents of the borough who use it most a-rid also the through motor traffic, then it should certainly bd so placed. This is of vital importance and we urge, upon the Council."that e-very"items of informaton for or against a change of site be fully examined before anything else is done because a change of. position may, quite conceivably, affe6t the cost ■owing to its bearing on length of bridge and cost of approaches, The second, point mentioned at the Council' meet- .; ing was that of a new road along tlj.e western boundary of the borough. The road which has existed for many years, i a very narrow road, lies between the' F railway line and the hills. It is much L too narrow for present-day TequireX ments and the widening of it would A require the acquisition of land; from X t-he Railway Department and a eonse-, B -quent shifting of the lines further to B the east or a cutting back of the hill throughout the v length of road to be H^ widened. To us, it seems too much to the Railway Department ' to do pretty heavy*" compensation B^Bfrom the Borough, so it remans to view alternative. To cut back the hill seriously affect all properties that area, would leave the preentrances to properties up in the and such a cutting back would at times be subject to more or less slips. .If the necessity for betroad accommodation ..exists and !we it does the idea suggested by Grierson, viz., that of a new BpP&ad on the east side of the railway r to run almost due north from Parlia'-i inent Street is a good suggestion. There would doubtless be difficTiilties jfco be overcome, private land to be obtained^ crossings to; be provided at one, or; ; ' more probably, two points and of course the money necessary for what' would undoubtedly be an expensive work. It seems to us .that this road, taken in conjunction with a new bTidge at Mell-. ing, would divert a great de^al of traffic —the through traffic we mean—from - otfr main street which frequently approaches congestion. JTo'^harm would '^result from a shopping point of view^ 0&a on}y those who had no business' to" ' '-^traasaet in the towli' itself would' use i>le* new and more direct route. These

are big issues but we feel sure that our Mayor' and his Council ■will view them not as needs of the"' moment but as matters having a distinct and direct bearing on the future. : •