By early 1912, the Belt Road bridge over the Mangaotuku Stream was nearing the end of its life, and on 12 April 1912 it was declared dangerous to all traffic.
A replacement was needed urgently, and plans for a new ferro-concrete culvert were presented to the St Aubyn Town Board by engineer John Skinner at a special meeting held on Wednesday 19 March 1912 - the plans were accepted, and tenders called for its construction later that week.
John Skinner was a pioneer in the use of concrete in bridge construction, and testament to both Skinner's engineering skills and the longevity of concrete, a number of Skinner's bridges are still in daily use across Taranaki.
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