NEW MANGERE BRIDGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15764, 12 November 1914, Page 9

NEW MANGERE BRIDGE.

PART READY FOR USE.

CONNECTION WITH WHARF.

At a meeting of the Mangere Road Board, held on Monday night, and presided over by Mr. H. R. McKenzie, chairman, several important matters with regard to the new Mangere Bridge were dealt with. Mr. R. F. Mocre, the board's engineer, reported that the new portion of the bridge already completed will be available for traffic in about six weeks' time. The board decided not to use the whole of this, which is 25ft wide, hut to limit the traffic to a width of 15ft, in addition to the new concrete footpath, which is 6ft 6in wide. The old wooden structure will then be removed and stacked in Mangere, and afterwards sold in lots to suit purchasers.

The engineer further reported tuat the Portland Cement Company had offered to give 20 tons of cement towards making ami forming motor and traffic wheel tracks if the Mangere Road Board would find the balance of material required and the necessary labour tor doing the work. On the motion of the chairman, it was decided to accept the offer, and to" thank the Portland Cement Company for its generosity. Each wheel track will be 18in wide, and there will be two on each side of the road on the Mangere Bridge embankment. When tho whole work is completed all vehicles of the regulation width will be able to run on concrete tracks from Queen Street, Onelmnga, to the Mangere store.

The foreman informed the board that he had completed the concrete footpath on one side of the embankment, and had started making the road on the new widening of tha embankment.

The board decided to request the Telegraph Department to confer with its engineer about the removal of the telegraph wires from the old bridge to the new. It was also decided to ask the Mangere Domain Board to shift the. water-pipes on to tho new bridge, where provision has been made for them.

The Auckland Harbour Board wrote suggesting that a temporary panel be placed in the new bridge on the western side, where the proposed connection will be, so that access may be obtained to the wharf. The chairman explained that the improvements to the Onehunga Wliarf now under contemplation by the Auckland Harbour Board included the building of a permanent structure right up to the Mangere Bridge. When this is completed vehicular traffic would be able to get on to the wharf by the present route, and leave it by the new bridge, thus avoiding delays caused at present by the blocking of the railway with trucks at the approach to the wharf. It was decided to ask the engineers of the two boards to confer on the matter.

The board decided to write to the Railway Department offering to complete -the new railway bridge on the Mangere embankment in ferro concrete 50ft wide for the sum of £1460. and at the same time to notify the Rail way Department that the land at the Onehunga end of the Mangeijg Bridge has been vested in the Mangere Road Board.

The poll for raising a loan of £2000, £1500 for purchasing Mrs. Johnstone's pronerty, and £500 for completing the work, will be taken on Tuesday, December 1.