CAMBRIDGE HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6934, 6 February 1906, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE.

A special meeting of the Cambridge Borough Council was held Ust evening to consider matters in connection with the proposed level bridge. All the members except Cr. Stone (who is in Auckland) were present.

The Mayor explained that the meeting had been called because they werd approaching finality in the matter of the proposed bridge. Members would observe from the plans lying on the table that the style of bridge had been altered from that previously proposed. This had been brought about by a number of circumstances, which be detailed, but which the Press wis asked to omit for the present. The bridge now proposed was on the same principle as the Victoria Nyanzi bridge. Five tenders had been received by Mr Fulton, the engineer for the work, and these were now in his possession at Wellington. Although the style of the bridge had been altered, the levels were unaltered, and on the Cambridge West side the decking would be flush with the road. Owing to the recent advance in steel, t'eamount originally allowed by the Council in its calculations would, the engineer intimated, be exceeded by about £375. That would make £11,375 for the bridge complete, approaches, engineer's fees, supervision, etc. The alteration of the plans and the additional estimated cost meant that the contributing local bodies would have to be aga ; n approached. As scon as the local bodies interested pureed to the altered plan, the Council would hi in a position to accept tenders. Mr Fu'toa, in his letter to the Council, recouiui-n.loi that the Council should let a contra.'t.for the steel work and another for erecting the bridge. This recommendation, was made for economical reasons. There were several colonial firms quite capable of erecting the bridge. He moved: "That the plans as now submitted be substituted for those of the cantilever bridge previously agree 1 to, and that the Mayor be instructed to take the necessary >tep3 to obtain the 3-:nction of the vmous local contributing bodies." 'I he motion was seoon led by Cr. o'Toole, supported by Crs. Ferguson, Venables, Clark and Dickinson, and carried unanimously.

Mr Fulton's letter on the subject was then read as follows :

"Herewith I now send you working drawings (comprised in nine sheets) of the Waikato River High Level Bridge. You will note that we have now gone back to the arch design and the American engineers who I h ive got to work out the details in accordance with the latest practical methods there.entirely concur. A* your contributing bodies have had iu the first instance a cantilever plan submitted to them, I now send you six diagrams and specifications for the arch design. The arch will be better and if anything less costly than the former design, so there should bo little demur to substituting the on? for the other. Owing to the recent rise in the price of steel, I now estimate tho cost to be somewhat higher thau the sum mentioned in my letter to you of August 22nd last. I now estimate the cost to be :

"For bridge compete, including eng neering and inspection, .£11,300. " Road approaches, .£75.

" A set of the detailed drawings is in the hinds of the Government engineer for his approval." The Mayor assured the Councillors present that they wove on the eve of the cob tract being let, and that the tenders would arrive in Cambridge rive days after the approval had been obtained. The only obstacle in the way was that the Minister in ch.'.rge of the Department would not be in Wellington till Friday next. On the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Cr. Clark, it was decided that the structure be named "The Victoria BiiJgo."