DHAKA TRAFFIC BRIDGE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 89, 14 April 1908, Page 7

DHAKA TRAFFIC BRIDGE.

CONSULTATION OF ENGINEERS

Yesterday afternoon Mr Williams, District Engineer, and Mr Combes, | engineer to the Omaka Road Board, waited on that body in regard to the plans of the Omaka traffic bridge. The position of affairs was briefly this: The Board proposed to erect a bridge over the Omaka River at Renwicktown^ and the engineer (Mr Combes) had drawn out plans and specifications of the proposed bridge. But as the Boaro: were getting a Government subsidy of £500 towards the cost of the work," the plansl drawn out by Mr Combes had to be -approved of by the Government Engineer for the district (Mr Williams). This Mr Williams declined to do, saying that the bridge shown in Mr Combes' s plans was much too .heavy and expensive for the traffic. Consequently Mi' Williams and Mr Combes met the Board yesterday in order^to try and come to some agreement, as Mr, Williams on the one hand was not prepared to approve of the existing plans, and Mr Combes on the other was not prepared to modify them, contending that he had been instructed by the Board to prepare plans for a bridge which would carry a "live" load of 50 tons, and that any lighter bridge than the one shown in his plans would be within the element of danger if such a load were put on it. ■ •"=-; r< Members of the Board did not remember issuing instructions to Mr Combes to prepare plans for a bridge that would carry such a weight as that, as it had been pointed out that the traffic on the roads would be nothing like so heavy. I After some technical discussion on ! the part of the engineers, the following resolution, proposed by Mr Bary, was carried:—" That the engineer be instructed to draw a plan of a bridge similar to that over the Okaramio Creek, the material to be ironbark, fand that the plans be submitted to the Government engineer for approval, the bridge not to be wider than 14 feet overall in 10 spans of 21 feet. Tenders to be in by next meet-

A vote of thanks to the engineers tor being present concluded the business.