RESIDENTS RATTLED
Living in an old creamery next to a bridge
John Booth is used to motorists stopping to sketch, photograph and exclaim over his picturesque and historical Rangitıkei home.
Bridge Lodge, nestled at the foot of green hills on Hunterville’s town boundary, was once a creamery, using the nearby stream to cool cream, which was sent by train to Whanganui.
But the cottage, built in 1900, is regularly rattled as heavy traffic crosses a bridge on the nearby State Highway 1.
Two potholes formed 10 metres from the northern approach to the Porewa Stream Bridge, 2 kilometres north of Hunterville. Bolts connecting the bridge’s guardrail to its base have loosened and, in some places, fallen out.
It’s a bit of a concern for Booth and his partner Heather Reid, whose house is just 20 metres from the roadside.
Last month, a truck hit a section of the railing, causing it to bend and fold.
Booth and Reid struggled to sleep as their windows rattled and their headboard was vibrating.
‘‘It’s not a big vibration, but it’s annoying. When 45-tonne [vehicles] go over it at 100kmh, the whole thing starts to jingle,’’ Booth said.
NZ Transport Agency spokesman Ross I’anson said there was no immediate issue with the bridge’s structural integrity, but work was programmed to fix the potholes and guardrails.
The home was once a hive of activity. Hunterville settlers in the late 19th century milked cows in the area, but without separators were forced to use pans to make cream and churn butter. The small creamery was built but it was one of several in the area to close in the 1920s, when the Rata Dairy Factory started.
Much of the creamery’s original plumbing still lies under the house.
After World War II, the land it stood on was subdivided into rehabilitation farms for five soldiers.
A man called Peter Henderson bought the land in 1981 and converted the creamery into a twobedroom home, which Booth bought in October last year.
The former mechanic has approached the transport agency three times with concerns after noticing loosened bolts on the bridge late last year.
‘‘It shows that the whole bridge is under tension,’’ Booth said.
While Booth believed the vibrations were caused when trucks ran over the potholes, he has yet to consult an engineer for confirmation.
I’anson said bolts connecting the bridge deck to the main beams have been replaced to stop the structure from moving.
‘‘Transition on and off the bridge is smooth, with the exception of two potholes ... which will require repair.
‘‘The bridge was also observed under heavy vehicle loading and no excessive movement or deflection was evident. Therefore, there are no current concerns over the safety or integrity of the bridge.’’
Booth said it was important that a proper crash barrier remained there.
Meanwhile, the couple have moved their bed away from the wall and detached the headboard. Booth has also wedged the windows closed.