THE SHANNON BRIDGE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2810, 13 November 1924, Page 3

THE SHANNON BRIDGE.

HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL ACTIVE. -At Saturday’s meeting of the Horowhenua. County Council, the engineer (Mr W. N. Anderson) reported as follows on the Shannon bridge:—“l have to report that at the end of last week one of the biggest floods for many years took place in the Manawatu River and caused a considerable amount of damage to the above bridge and the adjoining banks. The two land spans and all the protective work on the eastern end of the bridge were completely swept away, leaving a gap of 90 feet between the bridge and the bank of the'river and heavy erosion took place above and below the bridge, a strip of bank approximately 15 chains long by an average width of three-quarter of a chain being scoured out. I made a close inspection and took soundings on Wednesday and found that the main eastern span was also in danger of being swept away should another flood take place, the piles in the eastern pier of the span being only two feet in solid ground. The main current is at present flowing on to this pier. In company with Mr Ronayne, Resident Engineer, P.W. Department, Wellington, I again inspected and took further soundings with the same results as on Wednesday. It is very difficult to know what to advise under the present circumstances, but the first thing to do is to make the big span secure by anchoring same to the shore in case of collapse. Arrangements have been made for this and wire ropes and gear have been taken on to the ground and within the next few days I hope to Rave a pile driving plant on the site. Men are at present engaged erecting a wire rope for the transporting of cream and goods over the gap. As this bridge now comes into Main Highways, Mr Ronayne is reporting to the Department.’,

The chairman (O. G. A. Monk) said the damage was done and it was now the Council’s business to see that repairs were made. He hoped that everyone would make the Council’s job as easy as possible in this respect. The first duty of the Council was to open communication with Moutoa. The people out there were producing a perishable article in their cream and the Council must open some way for them to get this out to Shannon, without considering the cost. •He was glad to see that the Engineer had put this work in hand. The next thing to do was to anchor the second span of the bridge, which was in a dangerous condition.

Regarding the replacing of the bridge, it was hard to see what should be done. A report on the condition of the bridge had been brought down some 12 months ago, following the conference of engineers at Shannon. Three alternative suggestions had been brought down' at the time. One was that the present bridge should he lengthened and piles driven in to strengthen the structure. Another was that the bridge should be shifted down stream to a new locality and the third that it.should bo shifted up stream to about the Tokomara stream. Since that time the bridge had been taken over by the Main Highways Board and that body would have fo be responsible for half the cost of any work undertaken. It was his suggestion that a conference of the local bodies interested be called at the earliest possible moment for the purpose of going into the matter of replacing the bridge and that the Main Highways Board be notified that such a. conference was being held. They might have to consider No. 3 scheme which was that the bridge be shifted up stream. He would like to say that had any pro-, tective works been undertaken they would not have made the slightest difference as the erosion of the bank had started above where any works would have been built. Cr. Ryder said that what had happened was only what he had repeatedly warned the Council would happen if an “Old Man” flood occurred.

Cr. Barber said : Regarding the bridge—it had to go. When they were talking of building a new bridge they would do well to remember that the Chief Engineer of the Public Works had stated that the river at the old site was not wide enough to carry the water in the rive;- in flood time. The channel was actually only one-third the size of that at the Fitzherbert bridge. If they were going to rebuild the bridge in the present location, he would ask what was going to happen? The engineers had stated that the river would not carry the water and the only safeguard was that the bank on the western side of the'river would break. The River Board might lie the solution of the trouble but unfortunately the River Board was still in the air. The Chairman said that although tiie Engineers in their report had submitted three proposals, they did npt guarantee that any one of ■ them was safe. It was because of this that the Council had decided to wait and; see what the River Board would do. Regarding future building, the Main Highways Board would find part of the money for the work and would no doubt control somewhat the spending of the mon-

ey. . ■Cr. Barber asked if the Mam Highways Board would countenance the shifting of the bridge and portion of the road. The Chairman said he did not think there would be any difficulty on that score. Cr. Barber asked that the Engineer do all he could to arrange for the bringing of cream cans over from Moutoa at once.

The Engineer slated that he was rather up againsl it from the fact that he had had to get wire cable from Wellington. This had only arrived on Friday. The men were working all Saturday and if the work was not finished then they would continue on Sunday,

Cr. Ryder said that the chairman had asked for constructive criti- < ism. He would suggest that there was no use fooling about with half measures. The thing, was to control or regulate the river. He understood that there was a proposal to put in two “cuts” which would straighten the river, and they should do what they could to help along a comprehensive scheme like this which promised permanent benefit. The chairman: The estimated cost of those “cuts” is £600,000. Cr. Harkness ? said that the County and the people of the County were the victims- of the banking scheme. The river was cut off from its natural spillway which w T as over the Makerua swamp. The Makerua Drainage Board were the people who were to blame and not the County Council which would'have to bear the brunt of the trouble. Cr. Catlev said that the first thing to do was to make arrangements for opening communications with Moutoa. The next was to call a conference. The Chairman said he would like to correct the statement that the Makerua Drainage Board was solely to blame for the present trouble. It was'the banking of the river that was to blame. He would leave it at that. Regarding vehicular communication with Moutoa they might have to consider the provision of a punt. They would have to arrange for permanent reconstruction of the bridge at the conference which it was proposed to call. Under the Main Highways scheme only the Manawatu County shared responsibility with Horowhenua in this bridge. If the conference of local bodies and the Main Highways Board decided to restore the bridge, then they could go ahead. For the present the only thing be . could see was the iise of a punt. Cr. Harkness asked if the Council would be able to procure punts.

The Engineer stated that the Main Highways Board -was the body to give authority in this matter. The road was a Main Highway and under the control of that body. He was thinking of going to Wellington next Tuesday and would confer with the Public Works Department on the subject. Cr. Ryder asked how high up the bridge the water had been when the span had gone. The Engineer said that it had been within three feet of the decking. Had the bank not gone at Moutoa the whole bridge would have been swept away.

I’lie following resolution was moved by Cr. Monk and seconded by Cr. Whyte: “That the Engineer’*? report be adopted, and that a meeting of loc-al bodies interested in the Shannon Bridge be called .at Shannon. The Engineer to have authority to take the necessary steps to restore vehicular traffic over this route, after consultation with the Public Works Department and Highways Board. The councillors for the Tokomara Riding, the chairman and engineer to represent the Council at the conference.”