BROKEN BRIDGES

Otaki Mail, 9 April 1923, Page 3

BROKEN BRIDGES

hSaVY MOTOR 'i'RAi'xlC. AUTOMOB ILK CLUB AMD KL-STHIC- [ TLO.X or HOADS. ! I “Unless moiorista woke up unci inskcthemselves hear*l they will soon oc JincUng the roads blocked with bro&su bridges in every direction, ” said Mr C. M. Bunks, president oi the Wellington Automobile Club, at the monthly meetiug oi: the club. The matter arose on a j request by the Mew Zealand Automobile | Club for the views of motor associations j on tile maximum size of motor lorries that should be allowed, with a crew to making a Dominion demand by motorists for legislation. The committee, in reply, ailirmed its previous view that no lorry exceeding ten ions in weight laden should be allowed on the roads, aud on roads under ;ld feet iu width no vehicle should bo allowed having a greater over all width

laden tbun S feet. It ivas pointed out that the Xewmttn bridge, which collapsed on Sunday week, blocking the main road from the Wairarapa to ilanawatu and Hawke’s Hav. and making a deviation of four miles' necessary, had gone with a load of 7 to S tons passing over it. On the main Palmerston road the Waitoliu bridge was closed for repair in consequence of damage by heavy ttaffic, and for several years past there has been an unrepaired broken bridge in the Dannevirke-Hawke’s Bay main 10nd, via Norsewood. The committee i* of opinion that the Government should be pressed to do something without delay, as a collapse of a bridge between, say, Upper Hutt and Featherston, or between Waikauae

and Levin might result in the complete blockage of road traffic to the iVairarapa or Palmerston, as the case might be. and judging by the county council’s anxiety about their bridges there is evI cry prospect of more collapses at uo I distant date. I The Makara County Council advised ! the club that it rvas considering form- : ing by-laws restricting the loads on mo-tor-lorries, and had also requested the police to proceed with the utmost vigilance against negligent motor-lorry drivers, and particularly to take step? to enforce the law as to lights on vehicles.