In July, we published an article with the headline “Nelson Mandela Bay’s famous dolosse are slowly sinking”.
By then it was already obvious that something urgent needed to be done to shore up Gqeberha’s seawall.
The gradual sinking of the dolosse meant that the concrete structures — designed to secure the shoreline from heavy seas along the N2 on the city’s northern entrance — were no longer as effective against an ocean surge.
The past week has been a particularly troublesome one for motorists travelling on that N2-Settlers freeway as big waves hurled rocks and ocean debris, along with seawater, onto the highway.
This happened on at least three occasions last week, and has been an uncomfortably frequent occurrence over the past year.
Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), which is responsible for maintaining and securing the seabed along the shoreline, announced at the weekend that it would install 500 additional dolosse as part of a multiphase intervention.
A service provider has been appointed to determine the long-term design of the dolosse section of the seawall, which includes armour rock.
If one takes into account the scientific evidence that sea levels are rising, and that storm surges are under-scouring the city’s coastal protection structures, shoring them up requires urgent attention.
The highway does not appear to have suffered structural damage yet, but it might only be a matter of time before this happens — and the consequences could be disastrous.
That the N2 is a vital strategic route linking Gqeberha and the Eastern Cape to other coastal and inland provinces cannot be overstated.
The highway is also an important route for residents travelling to the city from areas such as Motherwell and Bluewater Bay, as well as for truck drivers and visitors to the metro.
Nelson Mandela Bay Climate Resilience Project lead Gary Koekemoer said the erosion caused by the waves crashing over the dolosse posed a major threat.
“Erosion will affect the integrity of the N2 and the railway which runs parallel to it.
“So it threatens vehicle traffic and trains being able to get in and out of the Gqeberha station and PE Harbour.
“It also threatens the integrity of the sewage pump station, which is one of the biggest in the city and is situated at the mouth of the Papenkuils.
“So this is a big issue.”
It is, indeed, a big issue that needs all the best engineers and environmental experts to be gathered in one room to devise long-term solutions that are actionable. And this must happen fast.
HeraldLIVE
Urgent action needed to bolster coastal protection structures
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Image: Werner Hills
In July, we published an article with the headline “Nelson Mandela Bay’s famous dolosse are slowly sinking”.
By then it was already obvious that something urgent needed to be done to shore up Gqeberha’s seawall.
The gradual sinking of the dolosse meant that the concrete structures — designed to secure the shoreline from heavy seas along the N2 on the city’s northern entrance — were no longer as effective against an ocean surge.
The past week has been a particularly troublesome one for motorists travelling on that N2-Settlers freeway as big waves hurled rocks and ocean debris, along with seawater, onto the highway.
This happened on at least three occasions last week, and has been an uncomfortably frequent occurrence over the past year.
Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), which is responsible for maintaining and securing the seabed along the shoreline, announced at the weekend that it would install 500 additional dolosse as part of a multiphase intervention.
A service provider has been appointed to determine the long-term design of the dolosse section of the seawall, which includes armour rock.
If one takes into account the scientific evidence that sea levels are rising, and that storm surges are under-scouring the city’s coastal protection structures, shoring them up requires urgent attention.
The highway does not appear to have suffered structural damage yet, but it might only be a matter of time before this happens — and the consequences could be disastrous.
That the N2 is a vital strategic route linking Gqeberha and the Eastern Cape to other coastal and inland provinces cannot be overstated.
The highway is also an important route for residents travelling to the city from areas such as Motherwell and Bluewater Bay, as well as for truck drivers and visitors to the metro.
Nelson Mandela Bay Climate Resilience Project lead Gary Koekemoer said the erosion caused by the waves crashing over the dolosse posed a major threat.
“Erosion will affect the integrity of the N2 and the railway which runs parallel to it.
“So it threatens vehicle traffic and trains being able to get in and out of the Gqeberha station and PE Harbour.
“It also threatens the integrity of the sewage pump station, which is one of the biggest in the city and is situated at the mouth of the Papenkuils.
“So this is a big issue.”
It is, indeed, a big issue that needs all the best engineers and environmental experts to be gathered in one room to devise long-term solutions that are actionable. And this must happen fast.
HeraldLIVE
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