STRENGTH OF BRIDGE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 56, Issue 32913, 24 September 1947, Page 10

STRENGTH OF BRIDGE

QUESTIONED BY FOREMAN ■BULLDOZER TO GO ACROSS A deputation seeking permission to take a bulldozer over a wooden bridge on the Long Bay Park road, waited upon the September meeting of the Coromandel County Council. Those in the deputation were Messrs Frith, Preece and Budge. Mr Preece said he had bought some land from Mr Firth and had engaged a bulldozer to make the access road into the land. In order to do this the machine had to go over the small bridge on the Long Bay Park road, and the county foreman had objected as he did not consider the bridge strong enough. An application, backed by the deputation, was therefore before the council. The foreman, Mr E. L. Orr, said he was not satisfied that the bridge would stand up to the machine’s weight of 14 tons. Mr Preece suggested he would indemnify the council to the extent of £2O for any damage done but was not prepared to replace the bridge if it broke down. Councillors were of the opinion that the bridge would cost a lot more than that to replace. The driver of the machine, Mr Budge, said the weight was well spread, and he would not take a ger. It was finally left that some machine costing £4OOO into any danhardwood planks on hand be used to put across the bridge, resting on the ground at either side and the foreman to supervise. Cr. Winstone desired that the men be thanked for coming to council asking permission.