NEW HUTT BRIDGE

Hutt News, Volume 1, Issue 27, 29 November 1928, Page 10

NEW HUTT BRIDGE

READY BY END Or JANUARY

WHAT OF THE OLD STRUCTURE?

Now that the new concrete traffic bridge at Lower Hutt hay been erected and the heavy work of forming the approaches is well under way, increased interest in the structure is being mani fested both locally and by visitors from the city and it is easy to see the nornious potentialities ox the bridge in its bearing on the future of the borough. The approach on the western side is the focal pointoorlr four streets —Railway Avenue, Victoria S'ti'ee^, Tama Street and the main Hutt Road —and the line of its construction is such, that it eliminates all .sharp turns though the grade of the approach, will be greater than it is to the old bridge. On the eastern side a new 66ft road is being formed through paddock land to Woburn Road, whilst there -will be ariethcr approach from the Hutt township along the riverside which,- should satisfactorily divide the traffic. There is a footpath on both sides of the bridge and a traffic way between kerbs is? a clear space of 32 feet.

The work of forming the approaches ha^ been rather Kravy on account of the big filling required on. the western si do. This ir. being made with gravel r cooped v]» from the bed of the river northward of the bridge. Wire rope whips, actuate a sharp-edged iron scoop whic-li drags up a couple of yards of clean gravel at a tifnie, hoists it to tlictop of a small mountain of gravel on f:ho c:v;tern side, or drops it through a chute into waiting lorries. In, order to widen the approach on tho western side, the corner section on the Hutt Koad (opposite the hotel) has been ac-r-'iired and most of it will be converted into road apace.

Before the bridge is opened, its concrete floor will be given v cushion of bituminious hot-mix and in time- the .approaches will be sealed. This latter job cannot be undertaken yet ,as the approaches will take some montha to consolidate There is also road work still to be done on the Woburn side.

Taking the present rate of progress as a guide the Mayor (JVlr W. T. Strand) expressed the opinion that the new bridge, would most likely be available for traffic about the end of January.

With the new bridge.practically completed the question naturally arises— what is to bctome of the present Hutt Bridge? Opinion appears to be divided as to whether it should be maintained as an alternative traffic way or demolished. An examination of the bridge has shown that some of its timbers are not hardwood, and these are by no moans as well preserved as could be wished so that if the bridge is to be retained it ■will call for some heavy expenditure in maintenance during .the next few years. Thi* docs not mean that imieh of the material of which it is constructed is not still serviceable. The Mayor stated that the fate of the bridge had yet to be decided by the Borough Council. He could only cx-

press a personal opinion. That was to tho effect that the Hutt Bridge should be very carefully ex-

amined and picked over, and then reerected at Mellings, where there was only a foot-bridge at present. In that connection ho advocated the straightening of the course of the tivct at Melling's by -making a north, and south cut through the elbow of land at that'point which makes such a "kink" in the river. The growth of settlement in tlie Hutt Valley generally -would demand a traffic ,bridge at Mellings sooner or later he said and the re-erected Hutt Bridge "would serve for at least another twenty years. Mcllings Bridge couM then be dismantled and re-erceted at Belmont and so bring the two side? of tho district into more convenient contact.

This is not the first bridge that has ho.im erect oil on the present site. An old pioneer settler of the Hutt (Mr Judd) informed a reporter that the wooden traffic bridge ■spanned the rivar at almost identically the same spot 62 years .ago, but in his recollection of the line of the bridge, looking westward, veered n little more toward Tama Street than does the new strue ture. As a young man he could re.niember stock being driven over the old bruise mentioned, but could not say how long it had been in existence prior to tliat time. Mr .Tudd also remembers tlu» wood?n bridge which crossed tlie river ji little above the existing Hutt Bridge, the piles of which can still be seen rut off a few feet above the river be<l. That bridge was opened f>7 years nq-o finrl probably displaced the one of tlie provim-i* firer.oration referred to.