THE HARBOUR BRIDGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19699, 27 July 1927, Page 14

THE HARBOUR BRIDGE.

Sir —Your correspondent, Mr. Blampied, deserves the thanks of all those interested in the contemplated Waitemata bridge. His letter bristles with figures and comparisons that sound good, but there is just one short link of the plan missing, i.e., the length of the Vancouver Bridge that was built for £380,000. If M r - Blampied will supply this information he will oblige all those interested. W. Ross.

Sir, —I agree with Mr. Blampied as regards a toll on the proposed harbour bridge. In any case a fair toll would yield most of the interest for a period of years and no doubt would gradually lnorease in amount until it overtook the required amount. At the same time it must be borne in mind that the Harbour Board endowments, approximating 2003 acres of mud flats, if turned into dry land, would yield a sum considerably over £2,000,000 in a short period of time. This land would offer security for a loan sufficiently large to cover the cost of the bridge and the filling in. The filling in would of course bo done on the most modern methods and not by means of heavy, cumbersome dredges on pontoons such as are in vogue at the present time. At the end of a period of fifty years the bridge and reclamation would hava been paid for and the Harbour Board would then be in full receipt of the rent values of the reclaimed land. . I understand from a reliable source that the riparian rights of the waterfronts of Shoal Bay and Ngatarunga Bay were relinquished many years ago. Many people seem to think the Ferry Company would be large losers if the bridge were constructed. Personally I cannot se® through that argument. The material loss to the ferries would be in vehicular traffic, which all must admit is cumbersome and expensive. The passenger ferries would still be patronised and as the population of the northern suburbs grew the ferry traffic would increase. Coming to the site of the bridge people are wont to forget that a bridge higher up the harbour does not in any way influence the land or occupiers, for to get to Rivorhead means the same distance whether the travel is on the south side of the harbour or on the north side. My contention is that the nearer the bridge is to the city the sooner you get over the water, and once on the other side the purpose is served by means of roads just the same as on this side. The distance to Birkenhead is no greater' from the centre of Shoal Bay than it would be from Point Erin to. Stokes Point, and. furthermore, it brings three other popular places within easy distance of the bridge. Alko should the mud flats :be reclaimed at any futui'e time and converted into residential areas, the average distance from the city would be two and a-nalt miles. 11. F. Moohe, C.E.