CITY BRIDGES

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21983, 6 January 1937, Page 8

CITY BRIDGES

MANY MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS OLD WORK OF EARLY BUILDERS ■■ Bridges are as much a distinctive part of the Christchurch landscape as* its well-planted appearance and its old Gothic style provincial bmld--1 ings. The chance which placed the city by the river Avon has made possible in these later days the special beauty of its river banks, but it has also made necessary a great number of bridges, for until they were built the convolutions of the river' were a considerable obstacle to traffic. , About 35 road bridges come within the area controlled by the City Council, or are on its boundary- Of these 13 cross the Heathcote, the rest being over the Avon or Wairarapa stream. In addition there are five road bridges in Fendalton and Riccarton and numbers of smaller bridges over tributary streams. ■. , . Although the pioneers had urgent need of access to the timber of the Papanui bush, for many years waggons had to drive through a ford It the site of the present Victoria street bridge. A traffic bridge- was built in Colombo street as early as 1858 but even in 1863 there was only a footbridge at Victoria street. A footbridge was provided; quite early in Worcester street, and later a suspension bridge at Gloucester street to give access to the Provincial Council Chambers. Date of Construction, The structure of all but two of the 13 existing bridges in the city, from the Public Hospital to Stanmore" road, dates from more than 50 years ago. The exceptions are the Bridge of Remembrance, opened in 1923, and the Colombo street bridge, opened in 1902 and widened in 1931. The others have been repaired from time to "time and given new road surfaces. " , The Stanmore road, Fitzgerald avenue, Victoria street, and Hereford street bridges are not; dated. The others bear the date of their opening and the name of the then Mayor of Christchurch. From the style of construction used, however, •it aippears that the four ex-, ceptions were built in much the same period as the others—between 1875 and 1885—with the Hereford street bridge possibly the oldest structure of the four. ; The Montreal street bridge bears the earliest date. It is inscribed, “F. Hobbs. Mayor, 1875.” The Madras street bridge is next; also in the mayoralty of Mr Hobbs, with the date 1875-76. The Manchester street and Armagh street bridges were erected when Mr J. G. Ruddenklau was Mayor, both being dated 1883. Worcester street bridge was erected in 1885, with Mr C. P. Hulbert as Mayor, and Gloucester street, now widened, in 1886. Timber construction was used in the older bridges, but those carrying heavy traffic in the city area mostly have steel arches. Only the Hereford street bridge is still parried on piles, most of the others named comprising a single arch from bank to bank. Montreal street is of timber with stone abutments and steel lattice parapet. Hereford street has steel arch girders. Worcester street has a brick arch, with stone facings. Gloucester street has a cast-iron spandrel /arch, and Armagh street a stone arch.-