THE WHAU BRIDGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20241, 29 April 1929, Page 12

THE WHAU BRIDGE.

DIFFICULTY OVER DESIGN.,

MOVE TO REACH FINALITY.

TENDERS TO DETERMINE COSTS. The v.exed question of the Whau Bridge has been advanced another stage by a suggestion from tho Hon. A, J. Stallworthy, Minister of Health, that alternative tenders should bo called to determine the comparative costs of the structure recommended by the Main Highways Board and tho more substantial bridge desired by the Now Lynn Town Board.

For some time negotiations concerning a new structure were held up through a misunderstanding. The Main Highways Board was credited with having insisted on a lifting span to suit any canal which might be constructed later. The Highways Board's actual proposal was for a girder type of bridge, a structure which would involve less expenditure than the arch design favoured by the local body. In response to representations on behalf of the local body, Mr. Stallwo/'thy received the following communication on Saturday from the chairman of the Main Highways Board:—"The board in no way wishes to dictate to local authorities as to the class of structure they shall erect. In regard to the Whau Bridge, the proposals involve unnecessary and unjustifiable expense. We are always willing to pay a subsidy on expenditure wo consider justifiable, but tho last decision ol the board was that we would pay a subsidy on tho local body's estimate for their arch design. I consider the suggestion of calling alternative tenders most valuable and wp propose to put this before tho Now Lynn Town Board immediately. We will prepare our design and tho board can propars theirs." The Highways Board has estimated that the extra cost of tho structure favoured by tho local body would bo about £3OOO, or five times iho difference estimated by the Town Board. Tho Town Board's original intention was to erect a bridge costing about £12,000, but engineers are now at a variance concerning the relative costs of an arch and a rolled steel bridge.