NEWMARKET RAILWAY BRIDGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13450, 29 May 1907, Page 8

NEWMARKET RAILWAY BRIDGE

Those persons \<who have occasion to use the Manukau Road , frequently have, ';,no doubt,- wondered why the Newmarket railway bridge should have been widened and the road itself left the same width as it previously was. ', It is not that the local authorities do not recognise that the chief object in widening the bridge was to miniraise the danger to traffic, but, according to ; one. of the members, of the Newmarket Council, it was simply lack of funds that prevented more space being given to traffic. The Government spent £200 in widening the bridge, and after doing, this left it to the Council to bring the width of the road into harmony with that of the bridge. Until this work is carried out, the danger is really more immediate than it was before the bridge was touched. However, a member of the Newmarket Council anticipates that the work of widening the road and building up the approaches will be pro-; ceeded with in the next couple of months. Previously there was no money available to carry out the improvements.

A really more remarkable engineering resuit was that obtained with the Park Road bridge. • The railway authorities almost reconstructed this bridge recently. Instead of widening it, they narrowed ? it, '■ until it is dangerous for a vehicle-and a foot passenger to be on it together. : When the Grafton bridge is open there will be a deal of traffic over the Park Road bridge, and accidents are certain to take place. A footway should have been provided. The builders of the bridge took no care to cany off water, and after every shower a large pool forms on it, and this has to be waded. This structure might be suitable for a railway crossing in a back blocks district, but it is certainly an anomaly in a busy street within a ; city. •