THE WAIWAKAIHO BRIDGE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 292, 19 January 1910, Page 2

THE WAIWAKAIHO BRIDGE

CUT-WATERS ABANDONED. Mr. E. A. Clements, of Llthani. waited on the Taranaki County O.ninvii meeting yesterday and repeated his pro. posal made to the combined committee of the fitzroy Town Board and the Coniiu- Council that he should erect a wire-netting ami boulder weir below the bridge, at a cost of from £l2O to £l5O. He said he would be prepared to guarantee the weir to stand mul to accomplish what was expected of it—the prevention oi the scour at the piers of the bridge by raising the leyel of the riverbed. Mr. Clements answered the questions and objections of the councillors, and then retired whilst the Council arrival at a decision. Cr. Tate moved the adoption of the report of the committee, which recommended the acceptance of Mr. Clements' scheme. The chairman said that although he had modified his previous views he was not yet quite satisfied that the weir would be a success, but he was willing to give it a trial ."throwing the engineers overboard, and taking on the man who had had actual practical experience." The report was adopted, without dissent. It was decided to proceed at once with the V-shaped roller required to protect the centre pier; that the matter of arranging the details of construction of the weir to be left with the chairman, the Waitara riding members, a delegate from the Fitzroy Town Board, and Mr. Clements.

A further resolution was carried to the effect tiTat Johnston's No. 12 wire be used for the netting, which will have a 4%-inch mesh.

A NON-COMMITTAL REPLY.

Mr. T. Ronayne, General Manager of Railways, wrote as follows: "With reference to your letter of 15th November last in regard to the scour in the Waiwakailio river, I have the honor to inform you that as requested by you *he District Engineer has met the county chairman and county engineer on the ground. He states that large quantities of boulders have been Taken from the river-bed some distance below the road bridge, the result being that considerable scour has taken place around one of the piers of the bridge. It is understood that the piers were originally cvfinders, Tmt when the present reinforced concrete bridge wis built concrete was placed between the cylinders, thus converting them to solid piers, but that the concrete was carried only some three feet below the bed of the river, and the bottom of it is now fxmod. I.understand also that a temrorary weir was built bv your Council just below the road bridge,' but that as this structure has not been maintained the scour has increased opposite the bridge (?) in the weir. So far as the railway bridge is concerned, it is built of piles which are driven 12 to 14 feet in the ground, and unless the scour increases enormously, which is very improbable, no damage to the railway bridge need be apprehended. There is no doubt that the scouring of the riverbed has been caused by the removal of boiiTders, and I am informed on the authority of the District Land Registrar .fhafc as the river is the boundary of the adjacent lands it would that the County Council, as the local drainage _authority, has control of the riverbed, and should therefore be in a position to prevent anything being done that might endanger the bridge, is. however, the question is a legal one. I would suggest that your Council should obtain a solicitor's opinion on the matter."

The letter was referred to the county solicitors for their opinion.