Exclusive article by Bev Mortimer: (From the April 2012 printed edition)
An estimated R10-million has been allocated for the repair of the Sand River Bridge.
This was revealed in a meeting of the Cape Roads Department in early March.
According to the senior roads engineer, Marius Keyser, funding for this bridge is not a problem. “Funds have been provided for in the new budget that starts in April this year.
“This amount is an estimate and there are enough funds for the design. The estimates are pretty accurate,” Keyser said adding that if the EIA process finds that additional measures are necessary – measures that would likely incur additional costs – there would be sufficient funds for that.
Keyser said that currently the Department of Roads is waiting for the tender process to be completed. Then the EIA process will start.
Environmental consultants have meanwhile told St Francis Chronicle that this EIA is expected to be a lengthy one as there are many experts and consultants who will have major input and things to recommend or caution about.
Keyser concurred, saying that the Sand River has a history of problems and the many experts will need to investigate the site, plus the whole river catchment area. They will need to consider the effect the construction of the bridge would have on the environment. So this EIA, he says will be more comprehensive than others, taking at least a year.
“So we are currently stuck with this bridge,” Keyser stated.
Informed about another car written off at the Sand River Bridge on 16 March this year, in which two students fortunately survived, and about local concerns that accidents could intensify over the Easter holidays, Keyser promised to have improved signage erected before Easter. A few days later he had organised increased signage at the bridge, including the re-instalment of signs that had been bumped off the bridge.
See previous posts:
http://stfrancischronicle.com/2012/03/16/another-car-bites-the-dust-at-sand-river-bridge/:
See related posts:
http://stfrancischronicle.com/2011/10/24/sand-river-bridge-to-be-tarred-before-end-of-november/
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