The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, SEPT. 20, 1930. BRIDGES OLD AND NEW.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 September 1930, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, SEPT. 20, 1930. BRIDGES OLD AND NEW.

It is almdst forty years ago since the widening of the main south fdadj .was first in hand. In that period a great transformation has taken place, and travelling south now in the speedy motor vehicles, is surely a revelation as regardn quick transport, At. .the outset of course there were not any bridges on the road. Even the veuL verts were only wide enough for a horse track. They had to he extended on both sides, to afford the necessary width for vehicles. In places, owing to the scarcity of material, the widening was very skimpy at the outset, hence the call for widening in these later days over many of the road sections. One of the first bridges to be erected was that across Duffers Creek, where there was a rough open eroding. That was some twenty-six years ago. Two years later came the great boon to southern traffic, the opening of the Big Waitaha bridge. The late Mr Seddon presided at that memorable function, practically his last in Westland. There was a gaila gathering, and a great cavalcade accompanied Mr Seddon south on his last tour as far a*s Okarito. As an outcome of that trip, the bridging of the Wataroa river was decided upon, and in due course a. wonderful structure materialised.' Next followed the bridging of the Big Wanganui river, being the first stage in the spanning of the major crossings on the main south iroad. With the bridging o 5 the large rivers referred to, the secondary rivers began to call for attention, and then began the demand for bridges at Little Waitaha, Little Wanganui and the Waitangi. One of the levers for building these bridges, to accrue in due course, was the starting of the motor traffic south. When motor cars began to nose their way south, the rough river bed crossings were a serious bogey’. Then came the intermittent floods. Cars were held up frequently. In some cases calight in the difficult streams in semi-flood and seriously damaged. It came to pass that the minor rivers had to be bridged, and next came the .problem of the major streams. Deep Creek and its sister streams along the motor route called for attention, and the traffic was not to he denied. The bridges came slowly but suref.v. Now streamlets are being bridged, and the task will noon be out of band. There are authorities in hand which will complete, practice" ly, all w»rter crossings south of Mt. Hercules. There will remain a couple or so of minor clearwaters at Little Wanganui, and an odd dip or two still to bridge, and the all weather route from Hokitika to Weheka will be an established fact. In these later dayp, the Main Highways Board has been handling the bridging proposition, or rather we should say, finding the money for the Public Works staff to do such good work. What has been done for Westland is in keeping with what had been done earlier on the Hast Coast and in other parts of the Dominion where traffic developed, and the condition of the locality called for the attention.

South Westland, rp has been shown in earlier references to the district, is a prospering locality, and a material feeder to the general prosperity of New .Zealand. The district contains a settled and contented population, ami production is going ahead. There is room for a great deal more expansion in settlement and also industrially. The Ibetter roads are needed in any case to encourage settlement and promote tourist traffic. This latter is well catered for by first class roads, and a well equipped transport service. Out of that, private enterprise has catered for the comfortable accommodation of the people so that every domestic convenience may be enjoyed. The good roads have encouraged and is justifying the private enterprise referred to, which means that the popular patronage of the travel ling public to tile district will be maintained—there is not any local excuse to cause its failure. All the settlement areas in Westland served with good roads are justifying their existence, and for that reason it is good to learp that the main south road is forging its way further south. From We- v lieka southward for a considerable distance, there is a very big stretch of fiat country where reading will be easy comparatively, hut some of the bridges! necessary, costly, Still, the evidence further north is in favour of mare bridges as a result of which lucrative settlement and increased production are assured. Thel'e is thus every reason why more and more bridges should be provided on the main route south,