Delays on bridge repair
2011-07-07
Anne Kruger
THE Lady Loch bridge outside Wellington will probably not reopen for several months. The bridge has been closed since March, for repairs to the steel structure and was scheduled to reopen at the end of August. Residents of the west bank of the Berg River now have to travel on a detour of 10 km to reach Wellington. The historic bridge was imported in sections from England in the 19th century. It was opened in September 1891, to great acclaim, when the ribbon was cut by the wife of the governor of the Cape at the time, Sir Henry Brougham Loch. When contractors started cleaning the bridge with high pressure jetting earlier this year, it was discovered that the structure of the steel bridge had deteriorated more than had been anticipated. Over the years it has been weakened by rust caused by water penetration. As a result, sections over the full length of the bridge must be replaced with new steel plating. “We were planning to start repairs last summer, but due to appeals from the agricultural community, the closure was postponed until after the harvest,” says Dave Salloway, representative of the engineering firm VelaVKE. “Now the work is being slowed down by winter weather. We appeal to the public to be patient, as the work will be completed within a few months.” It is likely that a 10 ton weight limit will be instituted once the bridge reopens.
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