DANGEROUS BRIDGES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 46, 23 February 1934, Page 6

DANGEROUS BRIDGES.

It is a miracle that weak bridges hava not cost this country quite a number of lives in the last ten or twenty years. Motorists are familiar with the notice that a bridge is dangerous; some years ago a North Auckland township was approached by a whole string of such structures. Travellers, however, are accustomed to trust to luck, and generally luck holds. How long it would have lasted with the Puhoi bridge had that bridge not been carried away by a flood no one can say, but judging by the exhibits of timber shown at the meeting of the Automobile Association this week the risk was considerable. The Puhoi bridge seems to have borne a close resemblance to the famous "tramp" Bolivar "just a pack of rotten plates puttied up with tar." The Bolivar survived a storm in which she was meant to founder, but on her subsequent fate Mr. Kipling is silent. Clearly there are a good many bridges in New Zealand in the Puhoi class. The Main Highways Board has over 150 due for renewal, but the Government will not find the money. One would think that this work ranked as fairly urgent. It was suggested some time ago that a survey of bridges be made throughout the country, and work started on renewals that must be done sooner or later. In view of the possibility that some of our bridges may at any moment collapse under weight of traffic, [this suggestion may be repeated.