BRIDGE PAINTING COST MORE THAN DOUBLED

Northern Advocate, 10 December 1937, Page 5

BRIDGE PAINTING COST MORE THAN DOUBLED

As you are no doubt aware, the county engineer’s estimate of £450, made in 19,16, as the cost of cleaning

and painting the Mangatipu Stream Bridge on the Kirikopuni-Parakao highway, has been considerably exceeded. and as far as can be seen at present, the cost of the work will be approximately £950, of which onequarter is payable by your council.” This startling revelation of increased costs was presented to the Whangarci County Council today in a letter from the District Engineer.

The county clerk reported that in 1936 the council paid £ll2/10/- towards the cost.

He had discussed the very high

cost of tiic work with Mr Pack-

wood, pointing out that the cost amounted to practically £4 per foot, and had suggested that the Main Highways Board should waive further claims for contributions from the council. However, Mr Pack wood had attributed the necessity for the high expenditure to the bridge having been allowed to fall into a very bad state of repair through the neglect of the council. Cr. A. J. McKay: Is the bridge costing more to maintain than it did to erect? Not Neglected Altogether Cr. T. N. Blake said that since the bridge had been built about ten years ago, one coat of priming had been applied, so that it had not been neglected altogether by the council. The increased cost was certainly most surprising and the basis worked upon must have been altogether different from that, upon which the engineer had made his estimate. More than double the amount estimated by Mr Norris had been spent already .and there was a further liability still to be met. In 1936 the council had received a tender for £425. but the Public Works Department bad taken the matter out of the hands of the council, which felt at the time that the J oil would probably be done at approximately the cost shown in the engineer's estimate and the contract.

The chairman; The cost, is certainly very high, but there apparently is no alternative to us finding the usual onefourth of the cost of highway works.