STRATHALLAN STREET CROSSING.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13979, 14 August 1909, Page 7

STRATHALLAN STREET CROSSING.

PROPOSED OVER-BRIDGE. Xovv that the proposed overhead bridge at tne ejid «>t xieswick Street is assuming definite form (the Borough Council having decided to enter into negotiations tor the necessary land) there is some discussion as to the wisdom of spending so much money as the erection of such a bridge would •cost. Those who are discussing the mutter now say that they did not do so before, because they did not take the proposal seriously, but believed it was one of those things whicli Lad begun in talk and would eud there. Quite a number of representative men are dccidely opposed to the erection of the proposed bridge, saying that- it would cost some thousands of pounds, and that it would be very little used when erected, judging by, the experience of other centres. It is contended that the Government will not bear the expense, and that the Timaru Borough Council should not do so, even if it had the money—which it has not. The first person seen on the subject said that to carry" out the proposed bridge would mean a great waste of money. The probabilities were that tho bridge would be very little used, and if it were largely used another nuisance equally as bad as having to wait at tiie fetrathallan Street crossing, would be created in the blocking of Beswick Street, which would then have to carry all the traffic from the- goods sheds and stores 011 the beach, in addition to the ordinary town traffic, and being a very narrow* street it could not do this without great inconvenience and liability to accidents. The next person spoken to, quoted the overhead bridge at- Dunedin, which he said bad been erected under siniilar circumstances to those existing here, and had proved a " white elephant," as carters and others refused to use it, preferring rather to make a detour of several streets and take a level crossing. That bridge many thousands of pounds, yet for all practical purposes it was useless. The same thing, he said, would happen here. - The carters would prefer to wait, as they do now, rathe, t-han take heavy loads up over the bridge. To use the bridge would er.taTl extra expense on the carters who would have to 1 double their horse power (some -sakl they would have to treble it). Possibly it would mean keepins a man at the foot of the bridge continually, with a pair or horses to help the ordinary teams »ip the incline. Other towns had railwav crossings (juite as inconvenient as the St rat hal la n street crossing here, but th-? people preferred to put up with a little inconvenience rather than spend some thousands of pounds on a bridge that- would be very rarely used. In any case, we hacl not the money to build the proposed bridge; the Government would not find it, and the question as to where it> was to come from should be sntisfac airily settled

__ before entering into ne jotiations for ""•the purchase of high-piiced land in the heart of tlie town. A carter was next soon on the subject one 'wlio uses the Stratliallan street crossing every 'lay. and lie scouted the idea of an overhead bridge

from tlic end of Beswick street meot-in-r the difficulty. Ju his opinion the "oods sliods should be moved iurthei south, say at the end of Mill and Go's, stores, or alonn the sea side 01. Hayes street opposite Mill and Co s. stores.- Here they would he centrally situated for the town and would he easily getatablo either from the Heaton street, crossing at the south end, or ..from the Strathallan street crossing at the north end. There is, he said, a good road tin from Heaton street to tile site lie promised for the goods sheds, and a jjood road down irom Srathallan street. If this suggestion were adopted, the carter said that half the carting would be done from each end instead of it being all done from one end as at present, and this would reduce the inconvenience of long waits at the Stratlmllan street crossing, to n minimum. Besides this, they would have two level crossings, and there would be no need for any over-head bridge. He doubtful whether the bridsrc would lie used if erected, as it would be a heavy haul up it, and in wet weather it would be dangerous as the horses would be unable to pet a foothold on the slippery timber. Even if the bridge were satisfactory, Beswick street was far too narrow to accommodate any more traffic than it took at present. He thought that his sugge--tion for the removal of the fodos sheds conld be carried into effect far cheaper than the over-bridge proposal, and lie was certain that the former would give the greatest -measure of satisfaction. . Still another interested partv whose views on the subject were sought, said he was satisfied that the over-bridge was out of'the question, and he addcl thpt the overhead foot-l>ridge which hod been clamoured for so long, and which spans the railway yard, wis yprv sel' 1 ""! nsed, and certainly rot" notified the o"*t of its construction. The same thing would happen to an overhead bridge for cart traffic, and he sincerely boned that the TWonrrli Council would not proceed further with the resolution they nassod oil this subject last Monday night.