Beachfront upgrade finished on time
A R7.5-MILLION revamp for the area between McArthur Baths and the Matlock Bridge at Happy Valley near Humewood Beach has been completed – just in time for the holiday season.
With tens of thousands of visitors and residents flocking to the city's beaches, engineering consultancy Afri-Coast Engineers – which has its head office in Port Elizabeth – completed the project which was commissioned by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.
Construction work was undertaken by another Bay company, TechniCivils.
Municipal spokesman Mthubanzi Mniki said the project had ensured that tourists and residents could enjoy this stretch of beach from both a safety and aesthetic point of view.
"What's more, we have extended the life of critical beachfront infrastructure for the long term," Mniki said.
Rehabilitation work started in February this year to fix the seriously compromised concrete structure along the popular beachfront area.
"The supporting structure was hollow and unstable and this put the integrity of the whole structure in jeopardy.
"The Coastal Management Act requires local municipalities take care to protect coastal resources as well as maintain coastal infrastructure," Mniki said.
Afri-Coast Engineers chief operating officer Bill Emslie said during an initial assessment on behalf of the municipality, sections of the structure were on the verge of collapse.
"There was extensive cracking of concrete and the reinforcing steel was so badly corroded it was virtually non-existent.
"The structure was declared hazardous and unfit for public pedestrian access," Emslie said.
"The municipality encouraged us to move quickly to resolve the challenges and ensure the safety of the public.
"What ensued was a really rewarding and interesting concrete rehabilitation and engineering project."
Emslie said the rehabilitation of the seawall between McArthur Baths and the hawkers' area was also added to the contract while construction was under way.
The refurbished zone will require very little and no further major maintenance for the next 20 years, Mniki said. - Herald Reporter
