BRIDGE BUILDING

Hokitika Guardian, 11 March 1929, Page 2

BRIDGE BUILDING

STATEMENT BY HIGHWAYS BOARD.

WELLINGTON. March 8

The Main Highways Hoard to-day issued the following statement: “The greatest mileage at tile least cost is a wellknown highway slogan, but achievements cannot be measured bv miles in the matter of bridge construction. The same expenditure as would lie sufficient to give road users a mile of sealed road surface would build less than a chain of bridge, while tile expenditure involved in the construction of a mile of concrete road which is generally accepted as the most expensive form of road pavement, represents slightly over four chains of bridge construction. The bridge construction carried out by the Main Highways Hoard during the four years the Hoard has been in operation lias absorbed a good proportion of the Hoard’s total expenditure. In the near future the Hoard will have to appropriate large amounts for bridge work. While during the past four years the Board’s bridge construction programme has included several new bridges over rivers which had not been previously bridged, such as the Mohan Bridge on the Messenger road, the Selwvn Bridge on the Main road south of Christchurch, and the Ivopu Bridge in- the Pokcno- i hanies road, most of the expenditure in file immediate future will lie on the renewal of bridges which have served the travelling public for many years. The original Main Highways Act provided for the payment of a subsidy of £1 for £1 on bridge construction, but the Board realising the necessity for giving'great er assistance towards the cost oi building bridges, more particularly large bridges, lias now authority (given to it by amendment to the original Act) to subside bridge construction on a more liberal basis. As an instance of the Board’s liability, the bridges mentioned hereunder are either now being reconstructed or will have to lie reconstructed at a very early date. The total estimated expenditure on fifteen bridges will approximate £300,000, or an average of over £20,000 for each bridge, and the'Main Highways Board will require to find about £220,000.

The following are the bridges referred to:—The Baleutha traffic bridjic on the Du lied i n-in verca rgi 11 main lii«h wav (his is the largest and will cost between £50,000 and £00,000) the Rangitikci Bridge, at Bulls, the Ashburton traffic bridge, the Aparima River bridge at Riverton, tlie Ruainaliunga River bridge at I e Oie Oie, near Mastcrton, the Aorangi Bridge at Fielding, the AYaiwera and Ruhoi Bridges on the road between Auckland and Maungaturoto, the Kokotau River bridge (Wairarapa South), the Rareora River Bridge (South Canterbury), the AAMiau Bridge at Auckland, the Motueka River bridge, the Himinui River bridge (North Canterbury) and the Waipuknrau traffic bridge. The Empire Bridge over the AYaiinakariri River near Kaipiapoi, is being rebuilt by the AVaimakarin River Trust and the Main Highways Board is contributing about €13.(01 towards the cost. .

The foregoing are mentioned as the more important and largest bridges calling for attention, and every case is a .replacement of an old bridge. There are many smaller bridges, the expenditure on which in the near future will in the aggregate amount to many thousands of pounds.