Work on the upgrade of the Gwaing River Bridge in George is now making steady progress, with 45 construction workers currently on site, South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (Sanral) said on Friday.
This comes after Sanral confirmed that the contract for the construction of the second bridge over the Gwaing River had been reassigned from KPMM Roads and Earthworks to Mamlambo Construction.
“On the day the agreement between the two contractors became effective, the site and the immediate area experienced exceptionally high rainfall. This resulted in the Gwaing River coming down in a flood. The flood caused significant damage to the temporary work on the bridge construction site, with a large portion of the scaffolding being washed away. Construction commenced earlier this year, with a view to completing the works in 2023,” Sanral said.
The priority work is to repair the damage sustained during the flood, which requires the removal of the reinforcing steel inside the temporary formwork and then the removal of the temporary formwork itself. The formwork on top of the scaffolding is visible from the existing N2.
Sanral said portions of the scaffolding would be dismantled and rebuilt before the formwork and reinforcing steel could be reinstated on top of it. In addition to the repair work, the contractor is busy with the construction of stormwater facilities and preparing for the construction of balustrades on the portion of the completed deck.
Sanral Western Region manager Randall Cable said the project was within budget despite the delays.
“Despite all the project setbacks and delays, the project is still within allocated budget. The majority of workers are working underneath the bridge deck which is being constructed and are not visible to road users on the N2. Sanral remains committed to completing this project and providing the much-needed infrastructure to the required standards and specifications,” Cable said.
