RAILWAY BRIDGE THREATENED

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23661, 11 June 1942, Page 6

RAILWAY BRIDGE THREATENED

♦ STEWART’S GULLY EROSION RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROTECTION “Yes,” replied the chairman (Mr C. T. Aschman) at yesterday’s meeting of the Waimakariri River Trust, when Mr F. W. Freeman asked if there had been a realisation by the Railway Department that there was more at stake than the reply of the District Railway Engineer (Mr P. H. Morey) that the threat to the railway bridge over the Waimakariri was caused by an island and was the responsibility of the trust. Mr Aschman said further discussion would be held, as an officer of the department was coming from Wellington to make an investigation. The danger to the bridge was referred to by Mr Freeman, the retiring chairman, in his annual report. “The seven-foot flood at Easter has seriously eroded the north bank within striking distance of this bridge, thereby menacing the structure,” he said. “The Railway Department has been notified that it is not the trust’s responsibility to protect the bridge. Our proposal to co-operate by subsidy has not found favour. Steps must be taken by us to remove trees, scrub, and sand on the large three-acre island obstructing the waterway on the top side of the bridge.” The Engineer (Mr H. W. Harris) also reported:—“ Further erosion has taken place at the main highway bridge, but the work put in during the month has stopped it from progressing further. This has had to be of a very temporary nature, as it was put in with the river running at fairly high flood over a period of three weeks. It will be further consolidated as opportunity offers. The discharge is now down to average winter flow, and the accretion of shingle between this point and the railway bridge is markedly evident. The channel that flowed along the south side to Kainga is now blocked off and is shoaled right across the bed to the north side where the bank is being eroded at Jury’s Island. The erosion above the railway bridge has gone further back behind the willows and whole low flow has to pass around the bay that has been formed.”