ASHBURTON'S CONCRETE TRAFFIC BRIDGE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 40, 26 November 1938, Page 8

ASHBURTON'S CONCRETE TRAFFIC BRIDGE

Commemorating Jubilee of the County Council

Specially written ior the “ Guardian ” by John Brown, “ Lowclifi'e,” Ashburton. (Copyright.)

their stride, suggested that they would provide a £2 to £1 subsidy and that the balance be apportioned thus:— County Council, 65 per cent. Borough Council, 25 per cent. Timvald Town Board, 10 per cent. When the letter came lieforo the County Council on June 29. 1928. the Clerk was instructed to write at once and say that the £2 to £1 subsidy 'was altogether inadequate. In July the Borough had considered (he question and they offered the County Council one-seventh of the balance and Tinwald offered £3OO as their share, hut while doing so the Borough strongly advised the County not to proceed till the Highways Board raised their offer to £3 to £l.

AYillhun T. Lili and John Turton jointly drove into the ground “the plain Varnished peg with its gold hand painted round the top,” which marked the spot where the new concrete bridge was to span the Ashburton River. The ceremony was to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the County Council, awl it took place on December 20. 1927. fifty-one years after the election of the first Council on December 22. 1876. The spot chosen happened to lie. very close to the spot chosen by AA’illiam Turton when he established his Accommodation House in 1858, the first house to he built in what later became the borough of Ashburton and the home in which John Turton —“the first white child horn in Asliburton’* —%st saw the light of day AA’iiliam T. Dili, when he came lo Ashburton, was a bridge keeper on the first bridge built across the Ashburton —the old railway bridge built by E. G. Wright (for many years one of the County’s most able administrators). This bridge, as I have already mentioned in other articles, was a combined railway and traffic bridge and it stood as such till a, dissatisfied community built the first traffic bridge. Late in 1922 fears that this bridge was not going to stand up to the increased and faster, heavier traffic were expressed, and on December 19, C. J. Williams—an experienced Canterbury engineer examined it and evidently reported that it had seen its best days. But it was not till May 25, 1927, that it was decided “that the necessary steps lie taken for the erection of a new concrete bridge 20 feet wide over the Ashburton, at Ashburton.” In August of the same year Air Lill suggested the Jubilee ceremony and

Contributions Accepted. A counter-proposal from the Highways Board of what was equivalent to £2 12s 6d to £1 was received, which meant that the Highways Board would contribute £23,167 while the balance, £8833, would have to financed by the other contributing bodies. In September. 1928, the Borough Council submitted a new offer to the County namely: County, 69.66 per cent Borough, 25.33 per cent— £2237 Timvald, 5 per cent — £442 Total £8833 Both these offers were accepted by the County Council. There had been a certain amount of discussion regarding the width of the bridge and even in August the Council, in favourably considering the £2 12s 6d to £1 subsidy, had insisted that the width should he increased from 20 to 22 feet and that a footbridge of 6 feet width be added. lu October the Highways Board wrote agreeing tv these alterations.

the other Councilors readily fell in with a celebration that would acknowledge the work of the pi on cars of the County. And so on the appointed day, at the invitation of five Council, assembled members of Parliament and representatives of public bodies besides the general public. The County Chairman (Air Angus Horsey) in one of his eharaoteristie pithy speeches sai l of* what was to he called “The Jubilee Bridge”: “We hope to erect, a structure suitable for traffic for the next century, a structure that , will carry all classes of traffic without restriction as to weight.or speed.” Air George Leadliey, a pioneer himself and a noted champion of farmers’ rights, paid a glowing tribute to those men who had endured early privations in developing the County and averred that ‘"the building of the bridge was indicative of the pulse of the times.”

The ooraiionv iviis continued at th>i M asonie Hall, who re refreshments were partaken of and a toast list honoured. So ended a particularly happy Golden Jubilee celebration. Happier still are we of the Ashburton Cot inly when we record that AY. T. Lill and John Turton are still with us enjoying, in their retirement the goodwill and the good wishes of a host of friends. After the Jubilee celebrations the County Council settled down to a consideration of how the bridge was to he financed, and, as tine Borough of Ashburton and Timvnld were concerned in the erection there was. in the. nature of public bodies, a certain amount <ff argument as to the basis on which each should contribute. ' The bridge, to be of concrete, was estimated to cost approximately €32.000. The 'Main Highways Board, who by this time were getting into

The contributing bodies now being in agreement, the October, 192 S meeting of the County Council passed the following resolution: “That on account of the present .state of the bridge the Highways Board be requested to proceed with the work forthwith, that the Council’s pile-driving plant and men afve available for any necessary tests and that the preliminary work can proceed.”

Approval of the Plans. % In May. 1929, the plans of the bridge were before the Council, and a resolution was passed “that the plans he approved subject to the provision of electric light poles and' that the Highways Board be requested to call tenders at once."

The National Electric and Engineering Company's tender of £BOO for the lighting standards was accepted in August, 1930. hut in June. 1931, the lighting on the bridge was questioned. The Ashburton Electric Power Board said the Alain Highways Board had authorised 17 standards of 400 candle power, and that the cost of these per year would he €ll9 or €7 each. This amount the County Council considered excessive and the.'Power Board was asked to have the charge brought down to €6O either by less number of standards or by less power. The Electric Power Board considered less - power would be unsatisfactory it would throw a shadow.

Then a discussion arose regarding the basis of payment of the lighting. Representatives from the contributing bodies considered tine old bridge should be dismantled at once, the cost oi maintenance being too great, and Air Bryant, of Tinwakh, drew attention to the fact that a, footpath was necessnyy from the south end of the bridge to Timvakl township on the same scale. Finally the representatives agreed: (1) That the lighting cost he €63 either by reduction in power or lights. •(2) That the cost of lighting and maintenance of the new and okl ‘n idges be on the basis of County Council 70 per cent, Borough 26 per cent, and Timvakl 6 per cent. (3) That the opening ceremony be arranged.

The Opening Ceremony. On August 29. 1931. tine bridge was opened. The Hon. AY. A. Yeitch (Minister of Railways and Transport) came specially from Wellington to perform the ceremony, and with him were Alessrs David Jones and T. 1). Burnett Al’s.P. for 1 Ashburton and Temuka Electorates, Colonel McKenzie (Geraldine County Council), Ah' F. hangbein (representing the Public AA’orks Department) and Mr Charles .1. v’alhot (representing the Alain Highways Board). The County and Borough councillors and the Timvakl Town Board members were of the official party and a concourse of County residents gathered to witness the opening.

Addresses were given by the County Chairman (Mr H. C’. B. Withell) who presided, and by the Mayor (Mr W. H. Woods), the Chairman of the Tinwald Town Board '(Mr W. Bryant), Messrs Jones and Burnett and C. J. Talbot.

The Hon. W. A. Veitch in am interesting speech! declared the bridge open and the ribbon was cut by Mrs H. C. B. Withell —the silver scissors presented to and used by her being now one of her most treasured possessions. The ribbon cut, a procession of Cfurs passed over the new bridge and returned by the old.

The invited guests were then entortaftiod at Madden’s Tea. Booms, Sir William Nosworthy welcoming the visitors. 'Replies were made by Mr Veitch. Colonel McKenzie, F. Langbein and T. ißlieloung (the contractor who had well and truly built the bridge). . * On February 5. 1932, the County Council were notified by the Main Highways Board that their request that the old bridge remain in position for another year without, indemnity was granted, hut actually at the following August meeting a resolution was passed by the Council that the old bridge he dismantled and in a short time afterwards this was done.

Cost Less Than Anticipated. At this same meeting too, the Main High wavs Board notified the Council that the cost of the new bridge was less than was anticipated —the actual cost being £24,411 8s 2d, of which the Council’s shape was £4Boo 6s t d over a period of 10 years, paying instalments of £SBO 13s 9d.

A special meeting was called to consider the new By-laws “for regulating the traffic upon the new concrete bridge over the River Ashburton known as “The Ashburton Traffic Bridge” (Main Highway, Blenheim’to Bluff (101).” ’These by-laws were passed on October 7, 1932, conformed on December 2 and came into force on December 16 —ten years from the time when the County Council fiisfc took notice in their Minutes of the weakness of the old bridge and five years from the driving-in of the peg to mark the sitte of the new bridge by Mb T. LiII and John Turton at the Jubilee Ceremony.