Paremata Bridge

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 274, 15 August 1932, Page 11

Paremata Bridge

Sir, —The need for a bridge at Paremata seems very pressing. During the war the military engineers would do this work quickly aud without trouble. I suggest a deviation of the main road to the south of the rail bridge made on the mud flat which is dry at low tide with a suspension bridge across the deep channel of about five chains, come out near the old military fort on the flat to the north. A bridge similar to that at Mellings erected by the late B. Dawson at a cost of £3OOO would suit for light traffic. The making of a road on the mud flat would provide work for the unemployed, or it could be done cheaply with machine grab shovels. Another scheme would be to erect a top deck to the railway bridge; the cylinders ana wood work would carry the extra ing; the approaches are easy. A third scheme would be a sand spit formed nearby across the water to the north of the bridge. A pontoon bridge would tie very inexpensive. A still larger and more ambitious scheme would be to make a road from Titahi Bay around the harbour and erect a concrete sea-wall and roadway combined with flood gates to control the tides to the Porirua harbour. The bar is only seven feet deep and this, scheme would eventually reclaim anything from to 50,000 acres without much expense, allowing the streams to deposit the flood mud deposits and thus gradually the whole harbour would be reclaimed in, say, 20 to 50 years. A smaller scheme would be to erect a mud sea-wall and overflow by-wash to reclaim the southern part of the Porirua harbour. A large area could be reclaimed at small cost, at the Pahautanui end of the harbour, cutting off the tedious drive through the township and saving about five qr seven miles by a straight road over mudflats up the valley, joining the main road about two or three miles north of the township. All this would provide work for the unemployed. A still further scheme for consideration would be diverting the main road about five miles north of Pahautanui, turning to the right and going down the valley, which has a grade of one in W, coming out close to the. Paekakanki School and near Mr. Smiths on the main road. This deviation, which is an easy matter, would save about six or eight miles there. I have been oyer this country and there are no engineering difficulties. . I would like some engineer to go into the above suggestions.—l am, etc., MILITARY ENGINEER. Wellington, August 12.

Sir, —Every intelligent person who has read or thought on the subject of the Paremata bridge knows perfectly well that a temporary toll bridge which will be optional to the user can only be a distinct gain to nil who may be directly, or indirectly concerned. It cannot possibly be a detriment to anyone. Of course, to a man, every motorist will welcome the toll bridge, because he is able to appreciate the wastage and extravagance of the circuitous route round the lagoon. Public attention should be now directed to the cause of the delay in putting the bridge over. There should be an investigation why it is being held up while labour in the district is standing idle. This is not an occasion when everybody should be marking time. Those who are not going forward are usually slipping back. If the military need arose there would be a twowav bridge there in no time.—l am, etc., SPAN-THE-GAP. August 12.