MELLING BRIDGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 55, 2 September 1937, Page 20

MELLING BRIDGE

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS

During a recent discussion at the Lower Hutt Borough Council th« Borough Engineer, Mr. R. F. Mainland, reported that three months previously £150 had been placed-on tfte estimates for maintenance and repairs to Melling bridge, that the previous year £130 had been spent, and that the average expenditure per year for the last six years had been £80,

Mr. Mainland now reports that iir accordance with the council's policy the £150 which was voted for repairs to the woodwork and steel structure is being spent, anil where necessary the timbe: and the rods are being replaced. He points . out that the presence of any corroded : rods which are being replaced .did not endanger the "structure, as there; was still a large safety margin. The weight of. a vehicle traversing the ..bridge is distributed over at least ten rods., and the breaking.stress of each rod is about six tons. The load due to the weight of 'the bridge' is one-third: of a ton on each rod.' As the maximum load allowed on the bridge is two tons, there is a considerable margin' of safety for. each rod, , '

During'the repairs, ai.careful inspection of the cables lias been made, and it has .been; found. that, Uiere is little' or. no of corrosion. The anchors of tlie' cables have befen exposed and found to, be in a perfect state of repair^ .. •■:■ .'!• ' . .' ,; : .-. ■■ Iri order that the regulations governing the loading of the bridge may be kept before the public, the council intends to prosecute several alleged offenders.

No load of more than two tons is allowed on the bridge, nor is more than one car allowed on at one time.