SHANNON BRIDGE

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2390, 9 February 1922, Page 2

SHANNON BRIDGE

IN DANGER OF DESTRUCTION. ■ At the meeting of the ManawatiiCounty Council, at Sanson on Monday, the engineer (Mr Hickford) reported on the danger that is threatening the Shannon bridge. He stated that, in company with the chairman (Sir James Wilson) and Cr. Bai’ber, he had inspected the erosion that had taken place in the Manawatu river just above the Shannon bridge. The river was steadily and surely encroaching towards the stop bank and the road, and in a short time the road would be cut away, communication between Foxton and Shannon cut off, and thousands of acres of first-class land would be rendered useless if the banks were allowed to be carried away. At the present time there was only one course to adopt, and that was to acquire several acres of land for a road diversion and stop bank. Temporary protective works were put in about two years ago, but they did very little good, and if extensive protective works were put in hand straight away the work could not be completed in time to prevent the bank and the road, being carried away, probably by the next flood./ Owing to the depth of the water, the cost of protective works would be 7 double the cost of the road diversi- ' on, and might not then arrest the erosion. The approximate cost of constructing the road and stop bank, not including the purchase of the land, would be £BOO. The danger, as pointed out by the engineer, is caused by the big bend that occurs in the Manawatu river immediately above the Shannon bridge. Here the soil is thick and soft, being old forest land, and is thickly dotted with tree stumps, this making the erosion more rapid. About ten years ago the road that now runs along beside the river was where the middle of the river bed now is. The action of the river at this point caused the road to be moved back about four chains, making a straight thoroughfare. A protective bank was also erected near the road. It is this bank that is now in daily danger of going into the water on account of the swift erosive powers of the river. In the last four weeks the river bank has* moved eleven feet nearer the stop bank. The dent in the river’s bank thus made is having the effect of swinging the current of the river across to the opposite side, where it is eating away the bank at the foot of the Shannon bridge to an alarming degree. Twice the lower approach to the bridge has been away, and the third one is going in the same direction. The Council expressed fears for the safety of the bridge during the coming winter. /*■

The river at this .spot is about two chains wide, with a deep, swiftflow of water. The new road diver- | sion, as suggested by the engineer, would be four chains south of the present road. If the river, in the next flood, should do the damage anticipated by the Council, it will mean the cutting off of supplies from Foxton to Shannon, and the cutting of the main road connecting about 12,000 acres of productive land with the only available port. Thus the handling and exporting of butter and kindred commodities, to say nothing of the flax trade carried on by the several mills in that district, would be very seriously disorganised.

After discussing the matter it was decided unanimously, on the Cr. Barber, seconded by C'r. Boyce, that the Council views, with alarm the danger to the road and embankment near the Shannon bridge, and that a conference between representatives of the Horowhenua County Council, the Foxton Borough Council and the County Council be invited to meet at the bridge to decide what steps should be taken immediately.

The County Clerk (Mr Drew) was instructed to make arrangements for the representatives of the local bodies mentioned to meet at the bridge and go into the matter thoroughly.