Ministry admits error in siting bridge

Press, 24 July 1984, Page 2

Ministry admits error in siting bridge

PA Nelson The Ministry of Works and Development admits it made an error of judgment in siting a new bridge across the Aorere River and now proposes to lift the whole structure by 2.7 metres. The 60-metre single span bridge was built in relatively quick time to service land development in the Lands and Survey Department’s Quartz Range farm development block, about 28km from the mouth of the Aorere River, near Nelson. Normal planning procedures were not followed, according to the Nelson Catchment Board’s chief engineer, Mr David Mcßryde.

Sketch plans of the bridge were submitted to the board for comment before Christmas, 1981. A mistake was discovered in the estimated size of the waterway and the board predicted that floodwaters would flow through the superstructure of the bridge, he said yesterday. The board had sent submissions to the Ministry of Works and Development urging it to reconsider the height of the structure, he said.

Somehow the plans “got caught in the Christmas rush,” Mr Mcßryde said. Tenders were called, construction went ahead in January, 1982, and the

bridge was completed by May of that year. The Ministry’s district water and soil officer, Mr Derek Wilshere, said, “We think we made an error of judgment, but we are taking the steps to rectify it.” The Ministry had decided to lift the whole structure 2.7 metres. No design had been decided on yet and Mr Wilshere said he was not able to give an estimate of the cost. Mr Wilshere denied that the mistake was an oversight on the part of the Ministry. He said it was a “tricky site” and there were very little data available on river flows before construction began.