09
River Pass
prior to starting the work and with on-site mentoring over the
full duration of the work, which took approximately 6 months to
complete. The value of this section of the work was almost R15m.
Due to the high likelihood of fossils being found during
excavation, a condition of the environmental authorisation was
that paleontological monitoring must be undertaken during the
excavations at the primary material source, a cutting at 77km.
This was done under the supervision of Dr. Rob Gess, a renowned
palaeontologist from the Albany Museum in Grahamstown. During
the blasting and excavation at this cutting, a number of new
invertebrates, as well as excellently preserved plant fossils of the
Devonian era were discovered. These were significant as many of the
species found had not yet been documented by palaeontologists.
The widening of the Fish River Bridge was advertised as a separate
contract and was also awarded to WBHO Construction. The
contract commenced in March 2016 and includes the replacement
of the existing bridge bearings, construction of 9 new bridge beams,
each approximately 23m long, widening of the existing bridge
deck by 1.6m and construction of new parapets. This contract is
still in progress with the main deck beams having been placed and
construction of the cantilever decks and the approach slabs now in
progress. These works are due to be completed in July 2017.
Gary Hughes - [email protected]
SANRAL were instrumental in ensuring that the fossils were
identified and properly recorded, making funding available for the
involvement of Dr. Gess and facilitating transport and storage of
material to be studied. SANRAL have instructed the construction
of a rest area at the fossil find, where travelling public may stop
at the face of the cutting and get a sense of the geology and
paleaontology of the area. Educational displays will be available at
the site explaining the find and the significance thereof.
Plant fossils discovered during excavations
Fish River Bridge Widening - Beam launching