MAIN MOTOR ROUTE IN JEOPRADY

Shannon News, 3 October 1922, Page 3

MAIN MOTOR ROUTE IN JEOPRADY

BRIDGES MAY BE CLOSED AT ANY TIME. HOROWHENUA COUNTY’S PROBLEM. The condition of the bridges in the lower portion of the Horowhenua County have been the subject of a good deal, of anxiety to the County council of late owing to the unfair wear and tear to wTlich they are being subjected, and tihe consequent inability of the Council to meet the heavy expenditure which will be necessary to restore them to a thoroughly sound condition. Situated on the main highway, the bridges have had to carry, during recent years, an enormous amount oi traffic through the increasing use oi the motor, and particularly the motor lorry. First the cuts in the railway service forced a portion oi the goods traffic on to the roads, and when the efficiency of the lorry was established it entered into competition with the older service, and with success. To-day a regular stream oi these vehicles, carrying heavy loads, passes over the roads, and incidentally the bridges, and whilst the roads only too plainly show the effects of this traffic, it is the bridges that are being more seriously damaged. The increasing burden being thrown on the county in the way of rebuilding roads and providing maintenance lor roads and bridges is such that its resources are becoming seriously embarrassed, so much so that it has had to appeal to the Government for assistance to place its bridges in a serviceable state. The position regarding the bridges was considered of such moment that a deputation from the Council recently waited upon the Minister of Public Works and asked for a Government grant, but the best the Department has been able to do up to the present is to send up an engineer to make a report on their condition. Meantime the bridges, which comprise those over the Ohau, Waikawa and Otaki Rivers, and the Waitohu stream, are going from bad to worse, and it is only a question of a short time when the structure at Ohau must be closed. Its decking is in very bad order, and a heavy lorry is likely to smash through some of the planking at any moment. When this occurs there is no option but to close the bridge, which will disorganise the traffic throughout the West Coast of this Island, because only a difficult ford can be provided over this river, and heavy road traffic will have to be diverted to the other coast or stopped altogether. The position is therefore a serious one, and demands the earliest attention.

TWO NEW BRIDGES WANTED. Whilst the understructures of the Ohau and Otaki bridges are sound, with the exception of a general tightening up and repairs of a minor nature, the decking of both stands very much in need of renewal, but in the case of the Waikawa and Waitohu, new structures are wanted altogether. On Saturday a representative of the News accompanied by the County Engineer (Mr W. N. Anderson) on a visit of inspection, when the condition of the bridges and their urgent need of attention was only two apprent.

In the ease of the Ohau bridge some of the original three-inch decking has had to be replaced, and the greater portion of the balance has been worn to a thickness of one and a-half inches, any of these timbers are shattered, and others, owing to the effects of water penetrating them, have lost their fibre and durability. With the exception of a few new timbers, the whole traffic surface is badly worn and shattered, and in its present state cannot long withstand the heavy crushing weights which it is called upon to bear. As stated, it is not unlikely that this'bridge will be closed any day, as the Council has spent all the available money upon it and can do no more.

The Waikawa bridge requires renewing altogether. In the building of this structure second-hand steel, stringers were used. Whilst they were quite adequate for requirements at that time, they are much too light to stand the severe conditions of these times, whilst, being unsatisfactory from other viewpoints. The upstream side of tlie bridge has dropped from six to eight inches at the northern end, and the whole construction is weak. It shakes and sways even with a horse cantering across, whilst the ironwork has loosened under the weight and speed of big lorries.

Waitohu also requires rebuilding. Part of the decking was stripped off alter the accident on Wednesday. This exposed the stringers underneath ,and these timbers, which measure 14 inches by 8 inches, and are of rimu, were found in bad condition. The upper portion of these stringers are shattered and decayed, some rotted to a depth of five inches, and badly attacked by worm. The s decking is done, and the life of the bridge is at an end, The Council proposes to re-

new this bridge, and traffic has been diverted to a ford alongside. Viewed from underneath, the condition of the Otaki bridge can soon be ascertained. The structure contains 13 spans, with 106 planks to the span. An inspection showed as many as 30 planks broken in a single span, the majority of them being recent breaks. The replacements necessary throughout the length of the bridge must be considerable. The effect of these breaks is apparent on the surface of the bridge, which is asphalted. The shattering of a timber immediately causes' the asphalt to crack up, and the passing traffic soon scoops out a pot-hole. There are saveral of these, although the whole surface was tartreated only last year at a cost of £SO. REPAIRS AND RENEWALS—£47OO.

The cost of renewing Waikawa and Waitohu and repairing Otaki and Ohau is estimated at £4700, as foliowo. Otaki bridge (repairs) ...... £cuOO Waikawa (new bridge) ... £l6llO Ohau (repairs) £7UU Waitohu (new bridge) £4OO Total , £4700 From to-day, October 2, it is expected that the traffic will increase, as the County Council embargo regulating loads placed upon motor lorries on the county roads will be removed, as the period of the embargo —five months—has come to an end. This is the prohibition that' can be imposed lor the winter months under the powers conferreh by the Public Works Act. The County, however, have power to control the speed' of lorries and weight of loads crossing their bridges.

As regards the bridges, it will be seen that the County Council is right up against it, and although ratepayers and users of the roads might be inconvenienced later on by having to use the fords in the case of two of the rivers at least, it must be taken into account that the Council is dcing

its best in the circumstances, aDd it is not the fault, of that body if matters are not righted. Government assistance is absolutely necessary, and on the face of it the claim for such is well founded and reasonable.