MAIN ROAD WILL BE CLOSED.

Shannon News, 12 September 1922, Page 2

MAIN ROAD WILL BE CLOSED.

UNLESS GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE IS RECEIVED. DEFINITE STATEMENT BY COUNTY CHAIRMAN. At Saturday’s meeting of Horowhenua County Council, Cr. G. A. Monk, the chairman, stated that the condition of the Otaki bridge was giving him some concern. On two occasions lately he had visited the bridge, once with the Government engineer, who said the only thing they should do with the asphalt covering was to take it up and sling it overboard. Although there was a thickness of four to six inches of asphalt, the planks were breaking every day, and was no protection. The Council did this bridge up a little time ago, and now it was going to pieces again from the heavy traffic.

Cr. Ryder said it had remained in good order for some time the last repairs. The chairman: It is much worse now than it was six months ago, and the only thing is to go back to wooden planking. Cr. Ryder: Why not stop the heavy traffic? I understand that was going to be done.

The Chairman: So we are gding to prosecute, but after this month the Council can’t prosecute under the Public Works Act, and will have to make a special by-law, and you know the recent decisions in these sort of cases. The traffic is simply tearing the. bridge to pieces.. One engineer states that it will cost £2OOO to redeck the bridge, and we have not got the money. We told the Minister we had nothing to put the Ohau bridge in order, and I made it plain to him that if we could get no assistance from the Government, the main road would have to be closed at the Ohau bridge. The chairman stated that never under any circumstances had the position been so exceptional. The Council was really not able to maintain the road and bridges. Otaki bridge required £2OOO, and Ohau between £7OO and £BOO, and there was the Waikawa. Waitohu had been arranged for. When at the Otaki bridge he had inspected it underneath and noticed that planks were breaking, and- this was shown by the asphalt cracking on the surface. The position was serious. ‘‘l don’t know what the Minister’s reply will he,” said .the chairman. "We can only hope for the best. ‘‘lf we are turned down we are not in a position to repair Ohau, and the public can expect that unless we get assistance, Ohau will be closed.”

Cr. McLeavey: What is the position if a lorry .goes through? The chairman: We are not responsible. The only thing to suggest at Otaki was a little repair*.

Cr. Ryder: The last work was satisfactory.

The Engineer: And that was only last Christmas.

The Chairman: I was astonished when under this bridge to see the breaks. No other county in New Zealand, he said, was in the position Horowhenua. was owing to the number of bridges it had and- the heavy stream of traffic over them. “If it is the last act in my public life, I will vote to close Ohau bridge if we get no assistance,” concluded the chairman. '