Pohangina Bridge.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7399, 15 September 1902, Page 4

Pohangina Bridge.

At tbe meeting ol the Pohatigiun County Council on Saturday tbs above subject again cropped up, on Borne correspondence from the Government. Mr Robinson, Government Eng'netr, reported to tho Minister of Lands on July 22, 1002, in rmp't't to the three bridge si e-t on tha i';>h -Bgi'"i rivjr. L'hu Council rroeivi-rl a Coj>y i.n S;iu - <i iy. Mr lt'ibiimon, in hia roport, Btat d that tho Uechivo sito was two miles above the Potiangintv township and wa'j 18 chains wide, and as the river changes from channel to channel over the whole width, a continuous bridge would bo rjquiaed the whole way across. It would necessitate, owing to drift timber, a bridge with not less than 80ft. Bp^ns, i and the oost would bo JE7OOO A briJgi ] >it thi3 site would not ba convenient t a tho majority of ih'j settlors.

Tho inidJio ol- Forry Kiad site was about 2J miles below tho Potiur.ghm towusbip. On tho can xid» of tho ri-er at -tLis eito tbe current wuwheil ag'ti-in v pnpu rock f'ico nearly vertical and aljoul 40 feet high. On tho west Bide the; b ink was low, and was nearly nil slightly covered with water during high li-jud*., Tbe river bed was 17 chains wM>:, but as there was a duep channel along '.he base of tho rock on tho east sine, tho watorwoy could with safety bo coutractcd to about 400 feet wide, if long epaus were adopted. On tbe ensfc end J,j chains of nnd through tho Edtinit',, Reserve wou'd have to bo ruado, v:. i would bo rather an expens-ive work. A groyne 14 chutis long would be mcioi on th« west side to deflect tbe stream dv ir;g high floods and prevent t'u nnbankmont being washed away. This -ito, in Lis opinion, would be west suitable for tho bridge.

The low.r stto was about threo and a half uril'ju bu!o\v tho middlo or fcriy site, and was aboul 00 ctiiiins within tho Kairanga county (Ma-.clioittr iojil district). No road exiattJ to it op either side. Ou tho east side the land was low and would need protection. On the wtsUrn sidu o clifl, consisting of lowor papa ro-k, a middle soam of compressed saud, and an upper Beam of boulders on<? gravel rise over 80ft, nearly verticAl, from the river, which rin at the base, nnd wa3 at its narrowest part about 200 ft wido at ordinary low water level. The cliff was easily undermined by the river, lakinginto consideration the coßt of laud needed for tliu road, danger of east side being flooded and perhaps WHshed away, tho urstnblo nature of the west bank for foundation of piers, and anchors for Riwptnsion bridge, a!»o for roadway 0,-id the difficulty of getting loaded timber of wool waggons past or under tho cables at the wot end, aUo tho fact that no bridge would be secure at this eiie (on account of the wutoro being more confined) of. less ihau 250 ft to SOOfinpan, necessitating a heavy truts or suspension Iridfie, hewaacouvlueod it would be undesirable ro erect a bridge at this lower sote. Summarising his report, Vlr JV binson expressed the opinion that tho balance of gjin to tbe district as a whole wr.3 in favunr ol the Ferry eito. A bridge there would cost lobb, would be more secure agiinst floodi«, if the precautions he had mentioned wore taken, and it .rould bo more convenient to ho majority of tho settlers. Tho cist for a briflgi with threo spans of 120 ft a -d one of CO road approaohes.pnd protective groyn3,should not exceed £5230. Tho cost for a bridge at tho lower site would be G5750.

Tho Chairman said tho description of the cliff at the lower site was applicable to the cliff at tho Forry site. It wbb not cl. ar how the river could be sifoly confinerl in a smaller epaco in one site and not the other. There was no crumbling of tho cliff at (lie lower site, and there would be no greater difficulty in making road approach there than up the cliff at tho Ferry sit". As there never hai been a proposal to erect a bridge ai Beehive, he did not know why that si'o had been reported jn. Tho delineation of the river at tbo Ferry site on Mr Robinson's p!an was incorrect. Cr PhiJlpott paid ho would accept Afr Hobmson's report an correct. Tho chiirman was trying to got a brids?i for 19 ratepayers, while ho %vas tryiag to get one for 60.

Tho nport wa3 bpVJ over far furthor csnsideration.