OLD CULVERT DISCOVERED DURING CONSTRUCTION

An old culvert dating back to the 1930s will be partially demolished as it had no special architectural significance and was found in a poor condition. Used as a pedestrian underpass and conduit for electrical cables and pipes in the past, the culvert was discovered by chance on a Gautrain construction site near Nelson Mandela Boulevard in Pretoria.

The Draft Final Environmental Management Plan (Revision 5) makes provision for management and mitigation plans in case of the uncovering of a heritage structure that could not be identified during the initial Heritage Impact Assessment completed for the project.

Gautrain commissioned an independent Heritage Practitioner to conduct a Heritage Impact Assessment on the culvert. The culvert was not noticed during Gautrain’s initial Heritage Impact Assessment as it was covered with soil.

The soil and ash was carefully removed around the structure and the structure was surveyed in order to plot the exact position and dimensions for future reference.

The approaches (head walls and wing walls) of the culvert were filled in and covered by a mixture of soil, gravel and cinders when it was made redundant around 1960. This mixture includes broken glass bottles and pieces of cups and saucers, probably originating from local waste disposal sites.

The eastern head wall and wing wall of the culvert is the only part that will be affected by the construction of a viaduct pillar.

The National Heritage Resources Act (NHRA) (Act 25 of 1999) requires an authorisation from the South African Heritage Resource Agency (SAHRA) for the partial or total demolition of any structure older than 60 years in accordance with Section 34 of the NHRA.

The independent assessment of the chance heritage find were documented and stated that there is no compelling reasons for preserving the structure for the following reasons:

• There are many other examples of this type of structure in South Africa (examples of others are illustrated in the report to SAHRA) and it has no special architectural or other form of significance.
• The western head wall and wing walls have been previously damaged.
• Part of the structure has been filled with rocks and other spoils.
• Bombela Civils Joint Venture has no use for the structure.
• It will not be possible to preserve the structure as part of the Gautrain development.
• The historic waste (glass bottles etc) is in a poor condition and out of its original context.

SAHRA approved of the partial demolition of the structure after it was documented.