^{NEARING COMPLETION: About 85% of work on the Umhlanga Pier has been done. Picture: Dick Martin}

By Gugu Blose

It appears that Thekwini has done it again – winning a top award in the face of some formidable competition. This time it's the municipality's Coastal, Stormwater and Catchment Management Department which brought home the glory.

It was recently honoured by the South African Institute of Civil Engineers (SAICE) for their work on the new Umhlanga Rocks Pier. The department received the Durban branch award for technical excellence at a function at Durban’s International Convention Centre.

Randeer Kasserchun, Deputy Head of the department, said: “The award is in recognition of an outstanding civil engineering project which best portrays the art and science of civil engineering in terms of technical excellence."

” Construction of the pier began in April 2006 and was due for completion at the end of that year. However, adverse weather conditions delayed construction,"he said.

“The weather in Durban especially along the coast has been tempestuous and the rough seas meant that working on the pier would be dangerous,” said Kasserchun.

As a result of all these delays,he said, only 85 percent of the work had been completed on the pier.

Kasserchun said the process of building the pier involved a conceptual design stage, and an environmental impact study which involved public participation.

Construction brgan in April last year, he said.

The pier has a "whalebone"theme which has received favourable  public comment.

The pier was built to help the Umhlanga Rocks beach keep its Blue Flag status by redirecting stormwater off the beach and into a deepwater channel.

The pier will reduce the unsightly pools of stagnant stormwater that sometimes form on the beach at Granny’s Pool.

“What impressed me is that we were pitted against other flagship projects such as the ICC extension, the harbour tunnel and the Mariannhill fill site and we came out tops..

“I am proud to be part of the team that makes up the Coastal, Stormwater and Catchment Management department and a municipality with such immense talent,” Kasserchun said.

This was the regional leg of the competition. All finalists will now take part in the national leg.

BloseGugu@durban.gov.za