SHANNON BRIDGE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2649, 23 October 1923, Page 3

SHANNON BRIDGE.

FURTHER CONFERENCE TO BE CALLED. MEETING OF HOROWHENUA COUNCIL. At a special meeting of the Horowhenua County Council on Friday, the report of the conference of engineers of the local bodies interested and the Public Works Engineer, regarding the Shannon bridge at Shannon, was, considered. In this report three alternative suggestions —(1) to move the bridge down the srteam a distance of 25 to 30 chains; (2) to lengthen the bridge. where it now stands; and (3) to move it up stream to a point just below the junction of the Manawatu river and the Tokomaru stream, were considered, the first being rejected by the conference and the other two being submitted in the report with a strong recommendation in favour of No. 3.

The chairman (Mr G. A. Monk) presided over a full meeting. In opening the meeting, the chairman briefly explained the circumstances under which the conferCHCC "\V£IS culled and (says the Levin Chronicle) stated that even if the bridge were shifted as suggested it was held that it would still be necessary to construct a by-pass to take the water during exceptional floods. i Cr. Ilnrkness asked that if the by-pass suggested was necessitated by the operation of the River Board

The chairman said that it, was more through the work being done by the Drainage Board. By confining the water to a narrower bed more water flowed under the bridge and a t a greater speed in flood time, this causing the erosion which was endangering the bridge. The position, he said, appeared to be this: he had thought at first that the council should make a definite recommendation, but now thought it' should lie referred to a further conference for consideration. The big trouble was that they might get the bridge shifted and an “old man Hood” would come down and take it away. The bridge was a very useful one to this county, but it was perhaps of greater importance fb other local bodies. He was not willing to express a definite opinion as to where the bridge should be, but he was certainly of opinion that the present, bridge was in imminent danger from an “old man flood as the result of the banking of the river shutting the water off from the Makerua swamp which provided a natural outlet in flood time. The engineer (Mr Anderson) stated that the present capacity of the bridge was 44,000 feet of. water pei second. With the completion of the hanking it would he necessary to take 144,000 feet. He suggested that the report should be recommended back to the different local bodies for further consideration, pending a further conference. Cr. Harkness asked if there was any immediate necessity for action. Cr. Barber said he had known the bridge for eight years and could say that it was in as favourable a condition now as at. any period during that time. There had been three “old man floods” in those eight years and he considered it was in as good a position to stand such a flood now as then, Cr. Ryder doubted if the hanks would ever stand a flood.

The engineer said this was a question which had come up at the conference and both Mi- Furkert anil others had stated that the bridge would never have to stand the full force of a flood as the' banks would inevitably break. In answer to Cr. Barber, who asked if it was a fact that the piles on the Shannon side of the bridge were only eight feet in the ground, the engineer stated that there was no ground for the report. He had examined the bridge and found that this was quite incorrect. Cr.'Harkness said that this was a, matter which had been brought about to a very considerable extent by the operations of the Drainage Board and it should be compelled to bear a large amount of the cost. Cr. Ryder asked how this should he done, yffie liver was supposed to carry the water and he did not see how they could put the cost of the work on to the property owners. The chairman then moved a resolution that a further conference Should be called, the members for the riding- with the engineer and himself to be the county’s representatives. This was carried.