Dam formation at the Sand River bridge causes concern

St Francis Chronicle

By Bev Mortimer:


Concern from early morning motorists has been expressed following a build up of water into a dam on the one side of the temporary Sand River Bridge during the night, 13 July 2012.

A tour round St Francis Bay early this morning  revealed that there was no major flooding in the village area of St Francis Bay nor up at Santareme this morning. And emergency services contacted also said there had been no major reports of flooding.

However, people’s homes in Sea Vista have once again been flooded.

Some motorists crossing the Sand River bridge this morning expressed concern to St Francis Chronicle that a small dam has developed on the St Francis Links side of the Sand River bridge. They feared that in the event of more heavy rains the dam level might rise and water will  flow over the top of the bridge.

A dam has been formed to the left as water is escaping from the river through a gap in the line of sandbags on the Links’ side.

St Francis Chronicle reported this dam formation to Nigel Aitken of the St Francis Bay Residents’ Association.

An onsite inspection this morning by St Francis Chronicle’s roving photographer shows:
* Water from theSandRiver flowing towards the bridge is pushing behind the sandbags that line the bank on the Links” side. The line of snadbag plus others on the bridge itself, were placed there this week by Provincial Roads Department officials in order to bolster the bridge before the onslaught of flood waters predicted by the weather bureau on Wednesday this week.

Dam on the left of the Sand River on the Links’ side

* This river water is  thus being diverted and is forming a dam in front of the bank below the road across the bridge. Two photos show the fork in the river clearly.

*  The level of the small dam is not near the top of the bridge.

Dam in front of the bank below the road over the bridge

* This water in the small dam is also flowing out slowly again through another gap in the sandbag line and joining the fast flowing water going under the bridge.

Water is flowing out of the dam in the gap in the line of sandbags, front right hand corner

Water is flowing behind this line of sandbags at the top of the line of sandbags, top left of photo

* The water is moving rapidly down through big pipes under the road. On the Humansdorp side the water is flowing fast out of the pipes as well as well.

It has been suggested by technical observers that roads’ department officials should straighten the crooked line of sandbags and close the gap where the water is flowing behind the sandbank line. This will prevent the level of the small dam from rising to the road level in the event of heavy rain

Here are all the photos taken this morning:

A dam has been formed to the left as water is escaping from the river through a gap in the line of sandbags on the Links’ side.
Dam on the left of the Sand River on the Links’ side
Dam infron t of the bank un under the road over the bridge
Water is flowing out of the dam in the gap in the line of sandbags, front right hand corner
Water is flowing behind this line of snadbags at the top of the line of sandbags, top right of photo

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