With work starting on Thursday, May 8th, we are into week 5 of the Seekoei Estuary refurbishment project. The La Niña cycle that broke the devastating drought also brought high rainfall and storm surges, damaging the causeway in the 2023/2024 winter.
Refurbishment is taking place over the winter, which is, in itself, a risk.
Webcam:
You can observe the progress on the causeway refurbishment via a live webcam. It may appear that little work is being done on some days, but a lot is happening off-site.
Cofferdams:
A cofferdam is an enclosure built within a body of water to allow the enclosed area to be pumped out or drained.
Cofferdams are being built so that further excavation to place the culverts can occur. Additional culverts will help the flow and mixing of water above and below the causeway, reducing the estuary’s salinity. High salinity on the seaside of the causeway has contributed to the degradation of the estuary, resulting in fish deaths at times.
Sandbags have started being put in place, and more prepared off-site.
Opening the Estuary Mouth:
Two attempts were made to open the mouth, one on May 16th and another on May 30th. Both attempts failed, and the mouth closed shortly after being opened.
Winter months are known for higher seas, resulting in more aggressive longshore drift, which can lead to the closing of the mouth.
Work to Date:
Thus far, the tar and underlying structure have been removed and replaced with rock and compacted soil. Culverts have been dug and prepared, and part of a cofferdam is in place. Sandbags are being prepared off-site.
A temporary fibre line has been run on the water’s surface between Aston Bay and Paradise Beach, ensuring fibre integrity for the project duration.
The causeway remains closed. Pedestrians are permitted to cross twice daily between 07:15 and 07:30, and 17:00 and 17:15. The closed mouth allows people to take a pleasant walk along the beach between Aston and Paradise outside the above hours.
Take a slow drive to Aston Bay to observe the progress, or follow on the webcam.
