OLD BRIDGE DEMOLISHED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24136, 1 December 1941, Page 9

OLD BRIDGE DEMOLISHED

LANDMARK IN CITY FANSHAWE STREET STRUCTURE A landmark of Auckland built over 60 years ago, the overhead bridge in Fanshawe Street, City, connecting two parts of the premises of the Kauri Timber Company, Limited, was demolished yesterday. The work was begun at six o'clock in the morning, and the road, wihich had been closed to traffic, was again available for use early in the afternoon. The demolition was undertaken by 14 members of the company's staff Electric-power and telephone wires wore first taken down by members of the staffs of the respective authorities, to enable the bridge to be pulled down, and as soon as this had been done, the work of ro-erocting them was begun. Three sets of toms were placed under the bridge, and stays made fast, before the main supports were severed. The bridge came down in two sections, without untoward incident, and no time was lost in clearing the roadway. The timber, although generally in good order in spite of its age, is considered to be of no commercial value, and was stacked off the road outside the company's premises. No records of when the bridge was built are in the company's possession, but it is thought to liave been put up 62 years ago. It was used to enable products to he wheeled from one part of the premises to another, but had had little use for the last 12 years.