DARGAYILLE'S BRIDGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18680, 9 April 1924, Page 10

DARGAYILLE'S BRIDGE.

PROBLEM OF LIFT SPAN, ELIMINATION REQUESTED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. A deputation from the Wairoa Bridge Conference headed by the Mayor of Dareaville. Mr. R. E. Hornblow, and accompanied by the Hon. J. G. Coates, interviewed the Minister for Marine, the Hon. G. J. Anderson, to-day and asked permission to amend the original plans by providing for a run-through bridge and eliminating the lift span. The deputation stated that if the request were granted tho conference would enter into a bond to provide a lift span later on should time and experience justify it, and should the Minister decide it should be erected. The. granting of the request would enable the bridge to be available for traffic at least three months earlier than otherwise, and, in addition, save considerable expenditure. The structure would already bear heavily on Dargaville Borough and district and the elimination of the span would save the wages of men who would require to be in attendance night and day to operate it. Furthermore, owing to tho width, two lift spans would be necessary, and it was considered that there were engineering difficulties in arranging this. Explaining further the attitude of tb«* conference toward the lift span, Mr Coates said history went to show matin New Zealand these lift spans were seldom used after being constructed, and th«" conference desired to put in a temporarj span and test the necessity, instead o< spending some £4000 with the possibility of the lift span never being used. Then* seemed to be three points for consider ation :—(1) Concurrence would have to be obtained from tho shipping interest!, [2) the local authorities concerned would require to enter into an agreement to put the lift span in if the Minister Jor Marine saw the necessity for so doing, and (3) the ratepayers concerned wei«agreeable to a run-through bridge. M* Coates suggested that the Minister for Marine should personally inspect the river and the site. The deputation stated that ♦ere was a clearance of about 16ft. at high tide between the bridge and the river, and that it' wss believed that the conference would boar the expense of the alterations nec«» sary to the boats negotiating the rive* by providing hinges on the masts and funnels. Mr. Anderson stated that he was obliged to ensure that the interests of shipping were protected. With the limited information before him on this point he could not give a definite repiy at once, but would endeavour to let them have a decision within a week. Meantime he would consult with the marin* engineer and the shipping community.