Name and Location
Emmarentia revamp project, Gauteng, South Africa.

Client
Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA).

Project Description
Erosion, corrosion and several significant floods have necessitated the City of Johannesburg’s investment in proactive maintenance of the Emmarentia dam with its 103-year-old infrastructure.

The dam, located on the Westdene spruit, which is a tributary of the Juskei river, is a popular recreational venue for the residents of Johannesburg.

The project scope includes:
• improving the flood-prevention facility system to protect properties located downstream of the dam, including excavating and repairing the pipework and surrounding soil at the stormwater structures along the dam, altering outlet structures, repairing the box culvert outlet, widening the control section and building a gabion wall on the eastern side of the outlet;
• repairing the dam wall by strengthening the stone protection layer;
• addressing the obstructions currently located in the upstream of the culvert spillway that decrease its capacity, including the removal of the canoe storage shed in the immediate vicinity of the spillway inlet as this poses a serious public safety risk;
• removing trees on the left bank and a large Plane tree on the upstream embankment, which, following consultation with academics, will grow significantly, potentially becoming detrimental to the embankment integrity;
• implementing protection measures to prevent future erosion caused by the high volumes of floodwater, which includes gabion wall reconstruction and repairs, as well as reconstructing the bottom of the channel;
• constructing a concrete wall in the area where the channel comes in proximity to the roadway to prevent damage to the roadway and the reconstructing of Olifants road;
• repairing a portion of the wall that is subsiding next to the bridge support; and
• negotiating with canoe and sailing clubs, and investigating alterations to the clubs’ configurations.

Value
R25-million.

Duration
The project started in April 2015 and is expected to be completed in January 2016.

Latest Developments
None stated.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
JRA operations manager – marketing and communications Bertha Peters-Scheepers, tel +27 11 298 5023 or email bscheepers@jra.org.za.