Lockleys riverbank remediation complete

Work to repair a 50-metre section of storm-damaged riverbank along the Torrens in Lockleys is now complete, allowing the City of West Torrens safe access to undertake minor works and ultimately fully reopen the nearby Linear Park path.

The site near Azalea Drive is the fourth location which SA Water, on behalf of the State Government, has helped repair since the areas were damaged by severe storms in late 2016.

Management of the River Torrens and Linear Park is a joint state and local government responsibility, with SA Water sometimes called on to contribute its construction management and engineering expertise to help repair riverbanks.

SA Water’s General Manager of Asset Operations and Delivery Mark Gobbie said several challenges experienced at the Lockleys site, mostly related to weather and high water flows, put some delay on construction.

"To allow for the safe setup and operation of equipment close to the river, the water level is required to be lowered at times throughout the project at each of the riverbank sites our contractor is working on," Mark said.

"Works at Lockleys began last July and high rainfall events in the following months flooded our construction site on several occasions, making it unsafe for crews to continue working until the water had subsided.

"To help resolve this challenge, we brought in additional pumps to drain the water."

The City of West Torrens has advised the shared use path on the southern side of the river, adjacent Azalea Drive, will be accessible to the public again once the council completes fence and pathway repairs.

"Some remaining equipment will be removed by our crews in the coming week, so we ask people living, working or travelling through the area to be mindful of trucks leaving the site," Mark said.

"We will also be returning to the site in a few months’ time, during milder weather conditions, to complete some revegetation along the riverbank."

SA Water has helped with similar riverbank remediation adjacent the brewery at Hindmarsh, and in Paradise.

"Since receiving funding in 2018 to progress repairs on behalf of the State Government at four additional sites along the Torrens, we have undertaken extensive planning and design work, completed works at Gilberton and now Lockleys.

"Work began at Thebarton in late January and will start at the last site – Torrensville – in coming weeks. Subject to weather and river flow conditions, repairs at all sites are expected to be complete in the first half of this year.

"The completion of remediation at these sites will enable the relevant local councils to undertake repairs to their infrastructure within Linear Park and re-open adjacent walkways or bicycle paths to the public."

All repair sites were assessed and prioritised based on safety, the volume and frequency of visitors they receive, and the likelihood they might deteriorate further in the near-term.

Work being undertaken by SA Water as part of the overall $5.2 million project varies between locations, and includes:

• debris and unstable soil removal
• some vegetation removal to ensure bank stability and safety of our workers and the community
• installation of concrete pins and gabion walls (specialised steel baskets filled with rocks) to support the riverbank through any future high water events
• temporary removal of existing infrastructure such as walkways and fencing, for better access during construction.

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