Riverbank repairs to commence in Gilberton

From Monday 18 June, SA Water, on behalf of the State Government, will begin on-site remediation of a 20-metre section of storm-damaged riverbank along the Torrens near Mersey Street in Gilberton.

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.

Gilberton is the first of four sites along the River Torrens to receive repairs this year, and was prioritised due to the potential safety risk of further deterioration of the riverbank.

SA Water's General Manager of Asset Operations and Delivery Mark Gobbie said there will be increased vehicle activity during these works, but SA Water is committed to keeping construction impacts to a minimum.

"The Torrens Linear Park walking and bicycle paths on the eastern side of the river will remain open throughout the works with no additional restrictions in place," Mark said.

"For the safety of the community and our contractors, temporary traffic restrictions may be required during parts of the project, to allow trucks and other vehicles to access two temporary site compounds via Park Terrace.

"To allow for the safe setup and operation of equipment closer to the river, the water level will also be lowered on occasion throughout the project."

South Australian contractor SEM Utilities will carry out the work at Gilberton from Monday to Friday between 7am and 5pm. Subject to weather and river flow conditions, the project is expected to take around eight weeks to complete.

"Completion of the repairs will enable the Town of Walkerville to re-open the nearby boardwalk," Mark said.

"We will continue to update the council and local residents as these works progress.

"Riverbank repairs at the remaining three sites - Lockleys, Torrensville and Thebarton - will be undertaken progressively over the next few months, with all work expected to be complete by the end of the year."

Work being undertaken by SA Water as part of the overall $5.2 million project will vary 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.

The four sections of riverbank were damaged by severe storms in late 2016. Since this time, SA Water has helped with other similar repair projects along the Torrens, including works adjacent the brewery at Hindmarsh and at Paradise.

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