The City of Cape Town has introduced wind nets at Sonwabe along Baden Powell Drive to limit windblown sand that often result in road closures during summer when the south-easter wind is at its fiercest.
The nets are being tested as a sand management intervention pilot project, which will run until May 30 next year and will not impact access to the coast, nor the public launch site.
They will be open-ended so that pedestrians can still access the beach and to keep the parking area clear of sand.
According to Eddie Andrews, the City’s deputy mayor and mayoral committee (Mayco) member for spatial planning and environment, the nets have been placed strategically to trap sand closer to the sea and assist in managing the accumulated sand before it reaches Baden Powell Drive.
The accumulated sand will be pushed back to sea every one or two years, and the nets will be reinstated, depending on the severity of the windy season.
Mayco member for urban mobility, Rob Quintas, said the City has been using these nets successfully for several years in Hout Bay and seen success using these nets in Hout Bay to keep Promenade Road free of sand.
“If successful, the portion of road where the intervention is implemented should remain free of sand eliminating the need to close this section of road due to wind-blown sand accumulation, as well as reducing the maintenance burden and costs to the City’s Roads Department,” Mr Quintas said.
The trial sand-management intervention includes the mechanical removal of excess stockpiled sand at Sonwabe.
The wind nets have been placed on the eastern side of Sonwabe parallel with Baden Powell Drive, seaward of the parking area at Sonwabe, and directly parallel with Baden Powell Drive.
The City’s roads department and coastal management branch will assess the impact of the project bi-weekly.
If successful, the departments will consider implementing the wind nets along other problematic sections of Baden Powell Drive to ensure the road remains open.
The City has asked the public to support this pilot project and not to interfere with the nets at Sonwabe.
“If this project is successful, it could be the solution to ensuring that the connectivity along Baden Powell is maintained during the upcoming festive season,” said Mr Quintas.
