Update

KNYSNA NEWS - Construction work in the Gray Street redevelopment project in Knysna has kicked off once again, following the completion of the second and third blocks of the project in early December.

Due to the arterial nature of the road that cuts Knysna's CBD down the middle, the redevelopment of Gray Street is a project that impacts the entire town in some way. 

Be it the businesses that line the street, the fact that it feeds into the taxi rank, or that it is a direct link between the Main Road and the Knysna Waterfront, the road is a vital piece of infrastructure and having it open and functioning is a key cog in Knysna's traffic mechanism.

However, for much of 2020, work on the road was delayed by various factors, including the Covid-19 pandemic, delays in material delivery, and a wet road surface. Having started in February 2020, the project was initially expected to be completed by April this year, but according to Knysna Municipality spokesperson Christopher Bezuidenhoudt, the new anticipated deadline is 1 July, three months later than planned. 

Bezuidenhoudt also clarified that the delays have not had an impact on the budget of the project. "Delays attributed to the contractor do not affect the budget, and delays due to Covid-19 have no implications on the budget," he said.

The redevelopment project is yet to be completed, with Blocks 4 and 5 still requiring work.

The road work was subdivided into five blocks, each separated by an intersection. Block 1 was between Waterfront Drive and Gordon Street, Block 2 between Gordon and Trotter streets, Block 3 between Trotter and Rawson streets, Block 4 between Rawson and Nelson streets, and lastly Block 5 between Nelson Street and the Main Road. 

Prep work on Block 1 was eventually done in August 2020 and it received its final layer of tar in mid-September.

Work on Blocks 2 and 3 was subse-quently done concurrently in a bid to speed up the process. But it would still be a further four months until they were completed when tools were laid down on 2 December for the December break, with only road markings and pavements left to be done. 

A month-and-a-half on, work has resumed. Bezuidenhoudt confirmed that a new timeline for the project is yet to be put in place.

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