THE HEATHCOTE BRIDGE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11747, 23 November 1903, Page 7

THE HEATHCOTE BRIDGE.

Afc a meeting of the Wool&toa BoroUgi Council on Saturday night a r«porfc wgßPdinz the Heuthcote bridge wus received ro»- Mr :j«ne»- Crawford, '■OJE.i :. engme*r to the Sumner Borough Council. The CotUKil discu'Hed the iepof t in committee, nod on resuming, the recommondfttion o*i riVed ot in con«mittte that a new bntoe be «Mct*il, w*9 unanimoudy approve/1. Befora this decision can be given effect to, ttlto other bodk\*. vrho. contribute to tbe maintejHmca t/f tlw bridge—the Sumner Borough Council, the H«ithcote BmO. "BouTd, and the . Cbmtchurcji Tramway Company*-musi' al«o discass the matter, ofter *l'ikh a conference of rejirewntatives irwn each body will b4 held tw arrive at a ,fiw\ decision, , ' Ttero were present. «.b the mwtfflrf oi the Woolston (Jpahoil on Sntardayniflit— . Tha'.'ilayor (Mr J. Eioliardeon), tu»d Crs. -Hftyea, dough, Woodhouae, Moore, Champ, •MuHin, Thome*, »nd Spreadbury. Jfr Crawford also attended. Mr Crawford reported that having made a careful eiamMation of the bridge euperScudly, bis louiUSi ihat mma of th* pUei ■«•«• in a fair *tate of prenervatLon ac to m<. Oft-nkl bo wctrtamed ebcta Ui» river feed,, bub tbe majority of the piles Tfere lio'ft iii a condition e« woald jtt»tify ■ blni ia secommettdiug any expenditure in ttying to »iron|th«» them, as any money expended in .so duinjt would be considervAm»> without obtaining a satisfactory re■alt. A conftidemble portion of the timber ia the eunctftraotnr* ysta ki a good et*t« of preieimtion,: bu€ it woald behapoeeible >hethetf the (jhSICTe, cap* eulce, etc., ncr« perfectly eonnd aU through without faying tie decking removed. Dur* ing- the iwt time years a vtry liwge I Atnonftb of heavy trufilojad, been vovOT tlw bridge, atnl there troe no likeliliood of that traffic diminkhing. Tl* itm . ewing, bridge tarnstilo were in perfect order. : Accompanying tills report. ■Wμ ,a jilan ofthe txistinff bridge, showing ji/th*, ttringere, capsule*, etc., and also a longitudinal «etion of the whpte bridge, ..■towing pita,.girders, etc., olso high and .' low ''Vttfaft i Wfk* aiwi the- bed of Vjtbft.. liteir. "''ln* . VifKh'. of ih» wring ipOTtloft r of, tie brJWff* wa» 13 ient; All ■ lit* olb*r |wrt, i» 20ffr extreme wWfli The pilee w«re> driven in nets of fan*, 15ft f:watr* to' centr*. . Tα pot titia bfidg* ,in sttwfoct order>«n4 «Kp»l to «my tmnic, M V«opmri»erided on independent set of pTUe, ia wt*-of four, Jpac*d 20ft centra to "cihti», width of bridge 34ft. In fr»m- ---> iftd liii est}mst« lie provided lor oil new Vtanber, chfefly ironbork, and other herd wood. M«e ehtvttW be driven sot lew than 10f*4n f trVer. Pile* WHeld-nagein "ieiijrtih fmo 30ft to 20ft; 1#» "bi' lain 1' CApenlee, 6f* ft>y ?I2» 12m >y 12in; wal;.4n©» aiatf bram* Mi by 4in; decking, Bia by 4i». The; «t>rk h* recomm«id*d vu /!»nti»lly * VArr bridge; t6 ialw^tJwtlac* i#ft9 oi -the itiniberon th* ■npenrfcructure, of "tha ftreeent bridge conld-be utilised in* «(r. tying out the work recommended, hie estimate for which would anmvnt to £995 16s, from which wold b« deducted, timber in bride* £260, leaving & balance of £745 16e. in* regarded a fiew bridge, the site for it ■htmld tier on the south aide of th# jptewnti one, and as close n* possible *)ae«*e. kngtU -woold-be the wrnw WIPK present one, width 22ft or 24ft, a lift bridge ia tjro eecUont, hay- ■, ing' i width of 22ft, oad' a dear opening % jf'jßfVfor veaede to pwi up the jriver. Tbt whole of th* woodwork portion would ■ to the altemtionn Tecmaine&ded *f«f the pr«wnt bridge:' :The only addi- ; tton Invelvtd W(ield be tv«» «tr* biiVs, ot JjtUi «cb,. tike lift bridge, and two heavy concrete abatineaU, to withstand the latentl thrust.cauwd by tlie aecet«ugr,gear wqwred for workiag the lifte. Hβ eirtimatfld the coat of inch bridge as described :;if*l6Bß. '-■'■:,'■': : "V. • " •" * \ Council resuming it was report* the Committee recommend the Wedioa of aliew bridge oV«r the Heathtote, on the lines recommended by Mr Cftftwford—ui» iron lift bridge, 22ft wide, with wooden approaches and nonorete ebutmeat*" • . : The- Mayor asted tbe reporters to note ttatf the Comraittte'e grouMs for arriving »t this dedjioh that th* cost of Wpairing. Uw pwsent bridge wonld be * g«e*l> tint the Council thought that it would be wiser to. pet the money into a now structure, which weald have a width of 2»t, Instead of the existing structure Jf only 12ffc ia width. lα'answer to a question, Mr Crawford KM that to tiw best of h\t knowledge, the ■'tfttmA hmgp tru «afe «nottgh : for traffio > jpaidinff tie erection of the new structure.' moved, Or. H«r«e se-;:et«d«d-—"That the recommundaticm rei ported from Conunitteo be approved." This was agreed to unanimously. ; ;.._•< )■■ It wa* dtcidtd to furniah » copy of Mi: 'Clfawford'ii wport to tSie SetttUer Borough Council, the Hcathcote Roati Board, tiM I r.Tkmmf Board, and the Christchatcjb Compairj', also to ask the two eMrt-ntmed bodies to deal with the report li-flf their ewUest oonveni«u», • ■ A -copy 'of : the resortttioti arrived a.t by the Council is £«% to be forwarded to .*|» bodies inP The. clerk wa* asked to instruct tbt jHonmg.h'e' fowtcah to drive home come |s|fr'Cra/wfotu was tlitmkea for his attend" g auoe, and for the complete information lie isfcM given the OoenuiL