Ndlovu affirms plans to widen port entrance

Completion date set for 2011
TERRY HUTSON
DURBAN’S PORT entrance will be widened to 220 metres and that’s definite. That was the categorical assurance of port manager Basil Ndlovu during an exclusive interview with FTW recently. Ndlovu said he wanted to clear up any misconceptions about the project. He said there were reports circulating that suggested the project was a no-hoper. “I don’t know where these stories are coming from but let’s dismiss them right away,” he said. The widening and deepening of the port entrance, along with a number of other capital-intensive developments in the port, is going ahead.” He said that some of the projects had been re-prioritised but as far as the entrance channel was concerned the engineers were hard at work with the final design planning “as we speak” and the city has already begun construction of the new sub-aqueous tunnel carrying service pipes under the entrance. “This is one project that our parent body Transnet takes most seriously, because of safety and economic reasons. “Obviously we’d like to fast track the process even though some things need careful planning and must of necessity take time. In early 2007 we expect to complete the design phase but we’ll go to tender before that happens to avoid further delays. We’re looking at four years to construct the new entrance channel, which gives us a completion date in 2011.” According to Ndlovu the country cannot afford the risk of the channel being closed suddenly because of a mishap involving a ship or some other disaster in the entrance. “If that happens, South Africa, not just Durban, will come to a stop.” He said the situation was made all the more urgent by the way in which bigger ships were already being introduced into service, particularly the container services. “The shipping lines tell us they want to send their larger ships but they are already here, and we simply have to provide safe conditions and facilities for them.” When widened the entrance channel will be 18m deep in the outer channel and 16m in the inner – the current channel is 12.8m deep at low tide. The width will be increased to 220m to accommodate in safety the size of ships likely to call here in the future. And while on the subject of dispelling rumours – let’s get rid of another. The widening of the channel is not so that ships can pass each other in opposite directions. It will still be one ship at a time but at least in the near future they will be doing so in greater safety.