RONGOTEA-LONGBURN BRIDGE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 113, 9 April 1930, Page 13

RONGOTEA-LONGBURN BRIDGE.

REPAIRS NECESSARY. Arising out of a discussion which took place at the last meeting of the Manawatu County Council, concerning the condition Of the bridge over the Oroua River on the Rongotea-Long-burn Road, the engineer (Mr H. V. Bond) made the following report on the bridge at yesterday’s meeting of the council:— The deck measurements of the bridge are: 165 feet long, 13ft. 6 inches wide between wheel guards. It was built in 1890-91. During the past two months the decking has broken up considerably and is becoming . dangerous. It will be necessary to redeck the centre 9 feet for the full length. It can be anticipated that when the old decking is removed it will be found necessary to renew some of the transoms and possibly turn others to secure good nailing. Some of these are showing signs of rot. The upstream lower chord is showing signs of rot on the western end of the centre truss. Some of • the scarf plates in the upper chords are also rotting, but these are' not now called upon to carry much weight as most of the stresses are practically nil as a result of the centre pier which was put in a few years ago _to take up the deflection of the main span The present timbers in • this ; bridge cannot be considered in a condition to carry-traffic for many years. I therefore recommend that repairs be carried out to last for, say ; another three or four years. The estimate for this is as follows Decking, 5750 sup. feet of 8 x'4 B.H. Rimu at, say, £3 10s per hpndred feet fixed, £2Ol ss; transoms, 1365 sup. feet of 14 x 5 B.H. rimu at, say, £4 IQs per 100 ft. fixed, £6l 8s 6d; Painting iron-work, tightening up bolts, etc., and fixing wind braces, £3/ 6s 6d; total, £3OO. The proportion of expenditure will be as follows: —Main Highways Board subsidy, £200; Kairanga County Council £SO; Manawatu County Council, £SO; total, £3OO. It is • possible that'it may not be required to spend the whole of the above amount, but this cannot be ascertained until the deck is-removed. The report of the engineer was adopted ’and the steps put. in hand for repairs confirmed.