HARBOUR BRIDGE SCHEME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20366, 21 September 1929, Page 12

HARBOUR BRIDGE SCHEME.

.DISADVANTAGES OF TUNNEL

ADDRESSES; AT DEVONPORT.

lit' response to an invitation from ;the iWaitemata "Chamber of Commerce, Mr. B. H. Greville, president" of the Auckland Harbour Bridge Association, and Mr. 8. Jones, »advisory - engineer to the association/ addressed the chamber on Thursday evening." \ .\ < ■

Mr. Greville outlined the work which the association had dono in bringing the project to itS'prfeaent state, and proceeded to controvert , statements made recently by . £•. Harkness, lecturer in civil engineering, at the Auckland University College, .''at-a meeting; of the chamber. Mr. Harkness had :s»id that the average toll on bridges in the United. States was 50 cents on vehicles and 5 cents on passengers, but/the, speaker quoted figures to •how that, as far as the Vancouver Bridge Vfis concerned, the charges were 15 cents and. 5 cents, respectively, with reductions j for concession tickets. Dealing with the reported statement that three tunnels coold, be constructed, for the cost of one bridge, Mr. .Greville said he thought that could really hot have said

The speaker explained the reasons for selecti'tig;.' the Shoal' Bay site, and contended .itliat the Harbour Board had no scheme of . developnient for the ha/bour West of thq .present western reclamation, Tho advantages of the Shoai Bay site were''numerous,' f as it. Would sorve all the North Shore and .sava tima in transport, lessen charges oh vehicular transport, develop the North Auckland Peninsula, and, incidentally, benefit Devonport business interests in particular.- -This route would bring. Devonport within, four or five miles .of'tWff (^y; : w'hlc : H meant,'a motor run of only 15 minutes. H° considered that the bridge would eliminate tho vehicular ferries, and Would take 75 per cent, of the passenger traffic from Birkenhead, Northcote and Takapnrfa; and "50 per cent, of the Devonport; traffic. : : ,W ; , Mr. Jones stated that although tho harbour- bed; was ideal for tunnelling, judging by;tfte of. a. tunnel'recently .driven lit Wellington a" t..fihel. under Auckland Harbour, 7200 ft. -long, inclusive, of approaches, .would cost £1,600,000, which was double'the cost, of a bridge, of-similar /capacity. He' emphasised the disadvantages of a tunnel; including'high maintenance costs, the unavoidable generation of deadly -carbon monoxido gases by motor vehicles, necessitating a costly ventilation, vehicles,; necessitating a costly ventilation Beheme, and the cost of lighting ana drainage. •- v Mr. Jones shid that the proposal spocified, a. bridge with a clearance of 90ft. and uOft. or 60ft. in width, rising from sealovel at fhe edge of the western reclamation. therefore no costly approach would be necewory. Many questions ware answered, and, on the motion of the. chairman, Mr. T. Walsh, a *vote of thanks was accorded to trie speakers.' „ ■ . -