Western Aqueduct project going ‘according to plan’
Construction began in January and will be finished by the third quarter.
A 14-KILOMETRE stretch of pipeline from the Inchanga Station to Ashley Drive in Kloof, which makes up the first two contracts of the R1.8-billion second phase of the Western Aqueduct, is currently being commissioned and tested and should be fully operational by mid-year.
Head of eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS), Ednick Msweli, said the city’s biggest ever bulk water pipeline project was proceeding in accordance with the project plan. He said he was confident that all of the contracts that make up the full 39km second phase of the pipeline, as well as its branch pipelines, would be completed on time.
The soon-to-be-completed portion of the pipeline comprises two 7km segments and is being completed by Cycad Pipelines and WK SA Construction.
The largest segment of the Western Aqueduct, which is being constructed by EsorFranki, measures 25km and stretches from the Ashley Drive break pressure tank to the NR5 Reservoir at Ntuzuma. It is scheduled to be complete and fully operational with all construction and road reinstatement finalised by mid-2017.
Martin Bright, project manager for the Western Aqueduct, said as this contract gathers momentum extensive work is scheduled to begin shortly along the railway line servitude from Alverston to Kloof Station. “Because construction will take place along the servitude, the impact will be peripheral and won’t affect traffic unduly,” said Bright.
He added that work on the Ashley Drive break pressure tank was progressing well. On completion, during the third quarter of 2015, it is expected to hold 20 mega-litres of water.
EWS thanked residents along the pipeline route for their patience and understanding during construction and apologised for major disruptions to Cadmore and Lello Roads in Kloof, and added that the extensive Cadmore Road upgrade was expected to be complete by the middle of this year.
Bright explained that, because Durban’s new Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system was under construction, it had been decided to escalate work on the 1km-long segment of the Western Aqueduct where the BRT is expected to run in order to minimise disruptions and ensure that restricted access to businesses was minimised wherever possible.
EWS appeals to the public to bear with them as it tackles construction along this densely-populated and complicated route, which experiences high volumes of traffic.
Construction began in January and will be finished by the third quarter of the year.
