Dear Editor,

I refer to the recent statement by the HRPP Leadership about building a bridge to Savai’i, should the HRPP be elected to Government.  

It is obvious that this is purely an election ploy, and should it be attempted, it will break the country completely!  It is some 23 kilometres to Savai’i by sea, and a bridge that long would require huge amounts of material and skilled labour.  

It would also require a point where shipping could pass instead of having to sail around the most western point of Savai’i. The alternative would be to have certain spans at a minimum of 35 metres above the water.  

A bridge of this nature would cost some $35 million per kilometre, totalling some (conservatively) $8 billion. This, of course, could be paid for out of the HRPP coffers.

We are not even talking maintenance yet.  The annual maintenance cost of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, at only just over a kilometre, is five million Australian dollars, and this involves ongoing painting with lead-free paint to prevent rust from forming, and a bridge over 20 kilometres in length is being proposed/promised?  

Will the HRPP be presenting costings and the source of the funding for this project and how it would be paid back?  Will the HRPP be providing a timeline for the construction of this?  Whilst two lanes may be sufficient, should an accident occur, then the complete bridge would be closed, with up to 20 kilometres of traffic backed up on either side of the accident.  

Imagine dealing with a fire or a life-threatening situation in bad weather.  It will never happen!

BUT WHO CARES – Charlie Mansfield