Repair work on the catch fences above Chapman’s Peak Drive that were severely damaged during the fires of March 2015 has been completed. The only outstanding work on the contract is minor cleaning work and the planting of indigenous plants. The planting will be done early next year. The road will be open to two-way motor vehicle traffic during the December holiday period. However, no cyclists or pedestrians will be permitted on the road for safety reasons.
The fences are designed to catch rocks of a certain size. Normal vegetation cover holds the soil together, and reduces the risk of smaller rocks rolling down the slope. However, the vegetation is still recovering from the fire. The geotechnical engineer’s report has made it clear that significant numbers of rocks about the size of a human fist continue to roll down onto the road. These pose a serious hazard to cyclists and pedestrians because of the height from which these projectiles fall off the mountain.
The Department of Transport and Public Works considers the safety of road users to be its highest priority. It was hoping to have been able to remove the restrictions on cyclists and pedestrians at the end of November 2015, but the road is not yet safe. The situation will be reviewed again in 2016.
How is that possible. What is the revenue stream