THE MAHAKI BRIDGE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18087, 7 August 1936, Page 8

THE MAHAKI BRIDGE

(To tho Editor of the Herald.) Sir,—l am surprised that no provision has been made on the estimates recently published for the replacement of the makeshift which serves for a bridge over (lie Maliaki creek at, Waikohu. This structure must surely be regarded as the local “Pons Asinorum,” and I should say it holds tho somewhat doubtful distinction of being the narrowest bridge on any important highway in the c.outheru Hemisphere. For years now it has proved a positive menace to motor traffic, and is the greatest possible inconvenience to the transport lorries which daily have to squeeze over it. Set as if is at right angles to both approaches, this “bridge” is a nightmare to motorists, especially those who are not. familiar with the eccentricities of the district and are making a night trip to or Irom Gisborne, for one comes upon it, so suddenly that only a vigorous application of the brakes" saves the situation, but at the expense of the badly frayed nerves of the motorist, who wonders what he has come up against, and immediately feels that he must bo miles out of his way. Recently, owing to the weakened condition of the “bridge,” motor lorries have had to take to the ford in the vicinity, but in wet weather this soon becomes impossible, and, even under the best of circumstances, the approaches are so heavily silt-laden that drivers arc loath to negotiate it. 1 believe more cuss words have been pronounced over this l freak bridge by visitors to Poverty Bay than one could hear on all the golf links in New Zealand. It i s high time, if only for the good name of Poverty Bay, that the authorities, should be approached without delay and urged to have this glaring defect on a main northern outlet remedied at the earliest possible moment, by replacing this antiquated structure with a bridge worthy of the name and more in keeping with the wealth and progressiveness of this district.—Yours, etc., VISITOR