SELWYN RIVER BRIDGE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29391, 19 December 1960, Page 19

SELWYN RIVER BRIDGE

Moves To Secure New Structure A letter from the Canterbury Progress League, received by the Ellesmere County Council at its monthly meeting, said that, following the council’s request for assistance to secure the replacement of the traffic bridge over the Selwyn river at Ellesmere, on the main Christchurch-South-bridge road, representations had been made at a meeting of the No. 14 Highways Committee and had been accepted by that committee. As a result a recommendation had been sent to the National Roads Board that the previous decision to redeck the existing wooden bridge should be abandoned in favour of the erection of a new structureThis was confirmed in a copy of the minutes of the District Roads Council received at the county council meeting? Expenditure of £lOOO in 1960 for investigation had been recommended. Councillors- expressed satisfaction with the progress made, the chairman (Cr. H. H, Heslop) remarking that the council at last appeared to be getting somewhere. On resigning the position of deputy rural fire officer, which he had held for many years. Mr R. G. Bishop, of Southbrid’e, was thanked for the splendid service he had given. A letter received from the Springs County Council conveyed the suggestion that thg two councils should meet for a preliminary discussion on the possibility of amalgamation between the two counties. The invitation was accepted, it being left to the Springs council to arrange a suitable date for the meeting. Engineer’s Report In the course of his report the county engineer (Mr P- Macfarlane) said that work in the Irwell riding included continuation of reconstruction of Selwyn and Lake road, with the laying and consolidation of 1028 cubic yards of crushed metal and 96 yards of clay Approximately 80 chains would be ready for sealing before the holidavs. Footpaths in Dunsandel had received attention and some repairs had been made to the Ellesmere bridge. In the Leeston riding reconstruction and sealing of Tramway road from Leeston railway crossing to Drain rnad had been completed, 6780 gallons of bitumen being spraved and 420 yards of chips spread. The Leeston-Taumutu road from McCormick's to Edwards's corner, in the Southbridge riding had been sealed, using 3750 gallons of bitumen and 220 yards of chins. In Leeston county town riding Pennington street and part of Station street had been sealed, and in the Southbridge county town riding Brook and Broad streets had been sealed. In both Leeston and Southbridge there had been some oiling of unsealed streets.