This page is under construction - (unlike the bridge, which was opened to traffic on 20111007 at 10h30)
The posts on this page have been captured in chronological order - mainly from articles in the local press. There are many gaps - but, over time, these will hopefully be filled in.
Should you wish to see what the bridge looked like prior to the floods then do the following:
Open Google Maps and then, in the search panel, copy and paste these
coordinates:
-30.363711,30.706251
Click on 'search' and the map should open with a green arrow
pointing to the bridge. Drag the 'little man' down to the arrow and
photographs of the bridge BEFORE the collapse should appear.
Switch into satellite mode and 'zoom' in - you should see the bridge
under re-construction (top down) - this was probably taken 2010/2011
Should you be able to provide additional information, please contact me at hughbythesea@gmail.com
Many thanks
Hugh
The
Bridge that took 3.3 years to replace . . . .
but just over a
year to construct
An interesting point is that on-site work appears to have commenced in August/September 2010 although the original bridge was washed away 3 years and 4 months ago. Planning and construction plan approvals must have taken some months to complete so, presumably, the unaccounted time was probably consumed by matters such as Government go-ahead, budgeting/financing, environmental issues and the like. What should also be remembered is that, at the time of the floods, a large number of different areas were badly affected. This must have stretched Government resources at the time - to achieve a perspective in this regard you are invited to read the Local Government Report regarding these matters (see link below)
NOTICE
R102 PARK RYNIE / PENNINGTON E13
The Kelso bridge between Park Rynie and Pennington has been washed away. There is virtually no signage to warn motorists that the road is closed and unpassable at this point. The last reachable establishment if travelling on the R102 South from Park Rynie is the Happy Wanderers Caravan Park. Visitors to any establishment which is situated between the Kelso bridge and Pennington on the R102 is advised to take Exit 93 to Pennington to reach their destination.
Welcome to Kelso
This is another small coastal hamlet on the KwaZulu-Natal coast and it is located just north of Pennington before you reach the infamous Kelso bridge. There are not many amenities there besides a railway station and a caravan park. But it is tucked beautifully amongst indigenous forest and offers a peaceful retreat.
Some links that may be of interest:
Ctrl+click: new ground Breaking then scroll down to Umzinto River Bridge
Local Government Report on the extent of the flooding damage
in the area: http://www.ugu.gov.za/ugu_disaster.html
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Thursday, September 2, 2010
THE KELSO BRIDGE - PENNINGTON CONSERVANCY
The Pennington Conservancy is concerned to note that a number
of Pennington residents believe we are in some way responsible for stopping
work on various projects. For example, Umdoni Road South, the Kelso Bridge and
Dolphin Drive.
It is important to understand that the Pennington Conservancy is not a
statutory body and we therefore have no jurisdiction and certainly are not in a
position to stop any projects being undertaken.
Nor would the Conservancy be in a position to advise contractors and the like
of where and / or when they may be transgressing any environmental statute or
council by-laws.
The Pennington Conservancy is a voluntary body of people that have undertaken
to support, advise, guide, educate and create awareness with all who reside in
and around the village in respect of the environment & conservation and
encourage the community to enjoy and appreciate Pennington’s wonderful natural
assets.
It is therefore recommended that should any one wish to raise a concern and /
or request clarity in terms of projects that have been stopped, they contact
Pennington’s council representative, who has agreed to this course of action:
The Pennington Conservancy Committee
Posted by Mary Mackenzie at 12:21 PM
CONTRACTORS CONFRONT THE CHALLENGES - 3 DECEMBER 2010
feveronline
03 December 2010
In spite of having to cope with the high water level of the river,
and having to add an unplanned seventh pile to back up the failed sixth, the
piling contractors at Kelso bridge completed their work this past week and have
largely packed up their camp and left for home. Focus is now on prefabricating
the concrete structures such as the buttress and beams, which work which is
being carried out expeditiously, on the road and well away from any threat of
rising waters. However, capping the piles and providing the foundation for the
buttress will have to be done at water level and anxious eyes are monitoring
the skies.
Nobody is saying anything about schedules because
meeting them lies largely in the hands of God but the contractors are certainly
taking on the challenges as they materialise.
KELSO BRIDGE HALTS FOR CHRISTMAS - 17 DECEMBER 2010
 | Cages of steel rods assembled as reinforcement for the main beams for the bridge, prior to casting the concrete. One of the beams ready for transporting from the road-side to the river |
feveronline
17 December 2010
Work on the Kelso bridge over the Umzinto River has ceased for the December holidays and will be resumed in January. The focus in recent weeks has been on pre-casting the concrete beams and other components for use in assembling the upper structure of the bridge and this work will be completed in the new year. This work has been carried out on the R102 road near the river and four of the massive 25 metre beams completed with the other four to follow. These will then be conveyed to the river and hoisted on top of the buttresses to support the roadway itself.
FISHERMEN HELP TO SAVE THE BRIDGE - 21 JANUARY 2011
feveronline The threat of floodwaters to the Umzinto River road bridge at Kelso has largely been nullified by a group of local fishermen and the immutable laws of hydraulics. While the contractors enjoyed their well-earned rest over the festive season, the persistent rain raised the river level ever-higher until by New Years Eve, the water level was teetering just below the sandbank between the lagoon and the sea. |  |
This was the time when a small group of fishermen decided, probably for the hell of it, to scoop a shallow channel from the water´s edge to the edge of the sandbank overhanging the incoming sea, which is when the law of hydraulics took over. Within half an hour, a gaping chasm had opened with the water tumbling over itself to get out and the two banks were completely cut off from each other. | The dark stains on the buttresses of the Kelso railway bridge demonstrate the drop in the water level of the mZinto River at Kelso since the mouth was breached |
As a wily old local pointed out, that had been the solution all along but the Department of the Environment had come down heavily on the contractors when they reportedly tried to cut a channel through, back when they started bridge repairs in September 2010 and the prohibition was strongly supported by local environmentalists.
The river now winds itself through a succession of sandbanks but local commentators agree that it will probably be some months before the breach seals itself and the water level rises again, assuming there is the rain to cause it. The contractors are probably quietly smiling to themselves and casting beneficent smiles at all fishermen and the locals are resting more assured that the bridge will be open, nearer to its deadline.
Meanwhile, the contractors have returned to work and are busy exposing the tops of the piles so that the concrete capping or ´baseplate´ can be cast to support the buttress which will support the bridge spans.
As a letter in today’s Fever draws attention to, pedestrians obliged to use the railway bridge as the only pedestrian access across the river are being exposed to a steady crime wave.
KELSO BRIDGE AND THE BOOKIES - 28 JANUARY 2011
feveronline
by Seton Thompson
28 January 2011
Seton Thompson
After some months of “things going relatively smoothly”, the situation at the
Kelso bridge over the Umzinto River is generating wildly disparaging views
among the “bridge-watchers” of Pennington and Kelso, with emphatic claims as to
when it will be completed ranging between June 2011 to a shattering December
2011.
Unfortunately, this situation has been largely created by what was intended to
be a customer- friendly gesture of putting a ´completion date´ on a huge board
near the N2 off-ramp. That date is very precise and emphatic, stating 25
February 2011, and the community has taken it as ´gospel´.
“Given that the Department of Transport, the responsible body, has released
very little information at all on the bridge, it seems churlish to criticise
them for that” comments Willie Brookes, a leading local ´bridge-watcher´ but it
has given everybody a target to shoot at and they are shooting wildly. The fact
is, of course, that if you don´t give people regularly updated information on
something they deem as important to them, as this is, they will indulge in wild
speculation and rumour”.
Reliable information gleaned by the Fever states that one of the piles has
failed. In November 2011, what was the ´final´ pile was deemed to have failed
with ultra-sonic testing indicating that there had been a material malfunction
in the casing. The pile had to be replaced by a seventh pile, which it turns
out has also failed for much the same reason. The Fever is assured that the
necessary remedial action has been taken and that what is hopefully the final
replacement is imminent. However, an accumulation of delays resulting from
arguing over breaching the river mouth in the first place, the break-down in
the water supply across the bridge, rain threatening the river level and the
two pile failures has inevitably retarded the completion, giving rise to widely
assorted guesstimates among bridge watchers.
“It would seem that all concerned have realised the inherent risk in setting a
publicly announced specific completion date, a gesture which they are not
likely to repeat” said a source. “Only the bookmakers are likely to nominate a
new one, but somewhere around May to June seems to be the current favourite.
That of course assumes that nothing else occurs, which is, in itself, a risky
assumption”, the Fever was advised.
WORK CONTINUES ON THE BRIDGE - 25 FEBRUARY 2011
 | Deserted and desolate mud-banks, even at high tide, but the workers were nearby. The crane looks inactive but its engine was ticking over. The large chute in the foreground is positioned over what will hopefully be the last pile. In the middle of the river, just in front of it, two Egyptian geese conduct their ablutions. |
feveronline
by Seton Thompson
25 February 2011
A visit by boat at high tide by the Fever - much of it walking – confirmed that work is still going ahead, focused on the final pile. Excavation is complete and concreting is imminent. The steel has not been stolen but rumours do persist that the contractors and even the province could be ´discussing´ who is going to pay for what must be the considerable costs of installing three extra piles. It has long been understood that the faults arose from a material deficiency affecting the installation of the pile, which suggests that this is not just a matter of a variation order but that responsibility might lie elsewhere.
Meanwhile, labourers have been playing a reverse version of King Canute, struggling to keep the river mouth open in the face of Spring tides threatening to block it.
A selection of photographs from Cyclone Construction
Excavation of pile cap (steel from piles exposed – piles ± 36 m deep)
Steel ‘cage’ for pier wall
Completed pier wall
Preparation for launching beams
Launching precast beams
View from Pennington side showing preparation for remedial work to approaches and installation of new handrails
Kelso bridge nears completion
Russell Meyer surveys the view from the Kelso side |  |
Progress is being made on an important piece of infrastructure.
08 July 2011
AS is evident from the picture taken on July 4, the cross beams from south to north are finally in place.
Cyclone Construction is to be praised for the effort it has put in, especially in face of the difficulties experienced over the past months.
Delays caused by the rise in the level of the lagoon with rain in May and June resulted in extra time being taken to raise the level of the sand causeways in the river.
This was necessary so that vehicles and machinery still needed to work below the bridge could do so.
An accident to a crane coming up from eThekwini area also caused further delays.
However thankfully this is now all in the past. The community can now look forward to a speedy completion of the work remaining.
The bridge’s opening will be celebrated with a thank you braai to all those involved, including communities on both sides of the bridge. Appropriate notices will go out in due course.
Restored bridge a boost for S Coast
September 26 2011 at 12:00pm
The Kelso Bridge that was washed away during a flood three years ago is near completion with workers adding the final touches before the re-opening next month. Picture: Zanele Zulu |  |
Rizwana Sheik Umar
The re-opening of the Kelso Bridge, more than three years after it was damaged in a flood, is highly anticipated by residents and businesses.
Linking Pennington directly to Park Rynie and Scottburgh, the damage to the Kelso Bridge has had a severe negative impact on business and tourism. Even the simple task of dropping off children at school has been a schlep.
“The past three years has been very destructive for business in the area. The whole of the bed and breakfast ’n’ self-catering industry and property has suffered,” said Umdoni councillor Russell Meyer.
The bridge, over the Umzinto river, was damaged in a flood in June 2008.
Since then, motorists have had to travel through Sezela to get to Pennington and Kelso, turning a 10-minute journey to a 20-minute one.
“The trip to the Kelso dump, which is where we have to dump garden refuse was a mere 3km, and now it is a 25km trip one-way,” Meyer said.
He said pupils who use public transport have had it the worst.
“Taxis used to transport schoolchildren to Kelso from Pennington via the bridge. Since the damage to the bridge the children have to walk 25km, crossing a railway line, to take a taxi,” Meyer said.
He said the bridge is near completion with just the tarring remaining. “We can’t wait for it to be re-opened,” he said.
The general manager of Selborne Hotel and Spa, Lance Hurly, who is very excited about the re-opening, said the damage to the bridge has had a huge negative impact on the restaurant, spa and the golf club.
Hurly said the suppliers who catered to businesses in Pennington had suffered badly
“One of our suppliers said, for him to service customers in this area, his running cost had increased by R2 000,” Hurly said.
Many of his patrons and suppliers have also complained about the poor signage heading to the seaside town.
Kelso bridge is structurally complete
It has taken three years and four months to finish.
06 October 2011 | MID SOUTH COAST MAIL
IT seems Mother Nature will have the last laugh when it comes to the official opening of the newly completed Mzinto River bridge at Kelso.
After three years and four months, the bridge is structurally complete. It only remains for the road markings to be painted onto the newly laid tarmac.
It is in this department the opening date will be decided, as long as the rain holds off long enough to allow the final touch to be made.
Plans for an opening party have had to be shelved due to
the weather.
“Because we do not know whether the weather will behave
itself, we cannot plan which date to host a party,” said Jacolette Crous, a
member of Positive Pennington.
She added there was a lot of excitement in Pennington and locals were looking forward to being able to travel to Scottburgh and Park Rynie on the ‘old’ road as opposed to using the N2.
“There is a 13 kilometre difference in distance and once the bridge is opened, shopping will be that much easier for Pennington residents,” said Ms Crous.
“It will also allow folk from Scottburgh and Park Rynie to visit Pennington and see what we have to offer,” she said.
One Pennington resident quipped, “Some local dealers have had a grand time while the bridge has been closed. Once it re-opens they will lose their monopoly, so perhaps it isn’t happy-days for everyone.”
Kelso / mZinto River Bridge is complete !!
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