KIRIKIRI BRIDGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4671, 7 March 1924, Page 2

KIRIKIRI BRIDGE.

THAMES COUNTY’S SHARE. AMOUNT AUTHORISED. At yesterday's meeting of the Thames County Council the following letter from Mr T. ,W. Rhodes, M.P., Thames, was read:— “I have the honour to inform, you that during my recent visit to Wellington I had several interviews with the Minister for Public Works and the construction engineer of the Department relative to the proposed bridge at Kirikiri, and something approaching finality was arrived at. “The Department has designed a bridge which I believe will meet the needs of the public for many years. It will be of a substantial nature, and of a class suitable to the locality. It is a bridge with steel-plate girders and timber decking on concrete piles, with four passing places and an opening span. The cost is estimated at £46,000 for the bridge and £6OOO for the approaches, making a total of £52,000. Of this the Government will provide £22,000 and the local bodies £30,000 “With regard to the erection and supervision of this bridge, the Minister is agreeable to the Department undertaking this provided the local boilie.s concerned pass formal resolutions requesting the Department to do so. It will also be necessary for each local body to give an undertaking to provide its quota of the £30,000 to be provided, which in your case is £6OOO. When this has been done engineering surveys and plans will be completed and final .estimates taken put. I would be pleased to receive a copy of the resolution when passed for tratismi-ssioin to the Minister, so as to expedite the matter as much impossible.” The chairman said that this was in accordance with the previous arrangements. He believed the various councils were very wise in making offers of definite amounts instead of a percentage of the cost.

Or. Lowe moved, and Cr.‘ McCormick seconded : “That the Minister of Public Works be requested to proceed with the erection of the Kirikiri bridge in accordance with the design prepared by the Department for a structure with concrete piles, steelplate girders, and wooden decking, with f< ur passing places and an opening span, at an estimated cost of £52, 000, including approaches, and to superintend such work during its progress. And this Council undertakes to provide £6OOO towards such wor e in terms of the agreement previously centered into with the Hauraki Plains County, providing that the £6OOO will be the Council’s total contribution to the bridge and the approach roads and the cost involved in the taking of such land with compensation, if any.”

This was supported by Cr. Cox. and on being put to the meeting was carried unanimously.