Road meeting gets emotional
GLENFERNESS - The general discussion at a public meeting about the proposed K56 road centred around the issue of natural integrity versus human development.
The meeting addressed the specific section of the K56 road which, if approved, will link William Nicol to Main Road cutting through Kyalami.
Some members of the Kyalami community and the Greater Kyalami Conservancy (GECKO) are not happy about the current proposed alignment of the road as they believe the road will cut through sensitive wetlands and possibly fragment the movement corridors of the area which is known for its equestrian community.
The meeting, which was held at Grace Point Church in Glenferness, opened with an address by Lizelle Gregory of Bokamoso Environmental Consultants about developments on the scoping report and the environmental impact assessment (EIA) which will soon take place. Bokomoso is working with both their own wetland specialist and Paul Fairall, a wetland specialist who has done extensive research in the area.
The meeting also featured an address by a representative from the Gauteng Department of Transport (Gautrans) who explained the history of the proposed road and how it will fit into the bigger picture of projected road networks in Gauteng. The representative asked members of the community to be mindful that the road was for everybody and that the building of a road all depended on the areas in which development is going to take place.
A director of WSP Civil and Structural engineers, which has been commissioned to explore the various alternative alignments of the road, also made an address to the community. He explained why the alternatives were not options and also explained that this section of the road was being prioritised as it could serve as a stand alone link.
There were very emotional reactions from community members. One community member implored the road engineers to visit the dams which the road will intersect to see the wildlife and experience the tranquility which will be broken by the dual carriageway road while other community members including a local politician called the road “another Nkandla highway”.
The EIA for the Kyalami section of the K56 will soon commence and public participation will be needed to assess just how much of a social and environmental impact the road will have on the Kyalami community.
