SANRAL N10 Bridges Our Ref: 9/2/032/0001
Enquiries: Kathryn Smuts Date: Tuesday July 24, 2012 Tel: 021 462 4502 Email: [email protected] Page No: 1 CaseID: 141
Final Comment In terms of section 38(8) of the National Heritage Resources Act (Act 25 of 1999) Attention: Ms Irme van Zyl Van Zyl Environmental Consultants PO Box 567 Upington 8800
Upgrading and Expansion of Bridges and Associated Infrastructure on the N10 National Route Between Groblershoop & Upington Siyanda District Municipality Northern Cape Province van Schalkwyk, J. April 2012. Documentation of Four Bridges on the N10 National Road between Upington and Groblershoop, Northern Cape Province Almond, J. March 2012. Recommended Exemption from Further Palaeontological Studies & Mitigation: Proposed Upgrading of Four Road Bridges along the N10 Between Groblershoop & Lambrechtsdrift, Northern Cape
SANRAL intends to perform maintenance work on Section 11 of the N10 between Groblershoop and Lambrechtsdrift in the Northern Cape. This work will require the widening of four bridges, Saalskop River Bridge, Kalkwerf Sloot Bridge, Ezelfontein River Bridge and Boom River Bridge, from 7m wide to 10.4m which will involve excavation of foundation trenches into the river beds.
The palaeontological review ascertained that all four bridges are underlain by Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rock of the Namaqua-Natal Province, which are unfossiliferous due to their great age. These basement rocks are overlain by Quaternary soils, downwasted gravels and other superficial deposits which are largely unfossiliferous. It remains possible that older river terrace gravels are present in patches along the Orange River, and can be highly fossiliferous, but have not been identified along the western bank of the River, where the N10 runs.
The archaeological investigation established that the current alignment of the N10 was probably built during the 1950s, possibly along the route of a pre-existing district road. All four bridges were built between 1956 and 1958 and are constructed of cast concrete.
Decision: As there is apparently no evidence of any significant archaeological material in this area, the SAHRA Archaeology, Palaeontology and Meteorites Unit has no objection to the development (in terms of the archaeological and palaeontological components of the heritage resources) on condition that, if any new
SANRAL N10 Bridges Our Ref: 9/2/032/0001
Enquiries: Kathryn Smuts Date: Tuesday July 24, 2012 Tel: 021 462 4502 Email: [email protected] Page No: 2 CaseID: 141
evidence of archaeological sites or artefacts, palaeontological fossils, graves or other heritage resources are found during development, construction or mining, SAHRA and an archaeologist and/or palaeontologist, depending on the nature of the finds, must be alerted immediately.
Should you have any further queries, please contact the designated official using the case number quoted above in the case header.
Yours faithfully
______Kathryn Smuts Heritage Officer: Archaeology
______Colette Scheermeyer SAHRA Head Archaeologist South African Heritage Resources Agency
ADMIN: (DEA, Ref: 14/12/16/3/3/1/496)
Terms & Conditions:
1. This approval does not exonerate the applicant from obtaining local authority approval or any other necessary approval for proposed work. 2. If any heritage resources, including graves or human remains, are encountered they must be reported to SAHRA immediately. 3. SAHRA reserves the right to request additional information as required.
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