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Element Consulting Engineers News Articles

Main Road Reopened

The improvement to stormwater pipes below Main Road in the Hermanus Business District has been completed, and the project as a whole is on track to be completed in April 2021.

Project Engineer Uli du Toit says Element Consulting Engineers was appointed to compile a stormwater management plan for the entire Hermanus CBD as well as the Hermanus Industrial Area in 2013. This enabled Dennis Hendriks, Senior Manager for Engineering Services, to apply for funding. Funds for the most critical problem areas were subsequently approved. Du Toit says a new stormwater drainage network with numerous catch pits has been installed to discharge stormwater from the two trapped low points in High Street and Main Road, where no stormwater overland escape route exists. “The pipe’s route is along High Street, down Dirkie Uys Street, Main Road and through the Hamewith building toward Marine Drive towards the ocean,” says Du Toit. “The newly installed stormwater network consists of pipes ranging from ø450 mm up to ø900 mm to increase the capacity of the original ø300 mm stormwater pipe installed during the establishment of the old town. Flooding of buildings due to high intensity downpours should be a thing of the past.”

Du Toit explains that premix in High Street, from Woolworths to Dirkie Uys, was removed two weeks ago, and the contractor plans to have a newly paved roadway with half round dish stormwater channels completed by mid-December. Paving of sidewalks and installation of benches, trees and planter boxes will commence in January 2021. “We are extremely satisfied with the quality of work from MeyerBeton Siviele en Boukontrakteurs. I must praise them on their housekeeping to keep the construction areas neat and clean, and their transparent communication and accommodating approach to the businesses and residents.”

Du Toit says construction is progressing extremely well, considering the extremely hard rock and amount of existing services the contractor must deal with and the project is expected to be completed in April 2021.

“I would like to thank all Hermanus residents and business owners for their patience, understanding and sacrifices during the construction period. We are grateful that Overstrand Municipality’s supply chain management managed to appoint the contractor during lockdown and that construction could commence in May this year while the tourism industry was quiet. We are grateful that the much-needed influx of international tourists is allowed and wish businesses all the best on their road to financial recovery during the upcoming festive season.”