More than 500 Garden Route residents have commented on the planned Knysna N2 toll highway, with most objecting to having to pay a toll while traveling in one municipal area.

Concern has also been raised over possible environmental damage.

The comments have been received by Coastal Environmental Surveys (CES), which did an environmental impact assessment for the controversial highway.

CES environmental consultant Lauren van der Merwe yesterday said these comments excluded those received during open days and public meetings.

Van der Merwe said business people in both Knysna and Sedgefield raised objections to the toll as it would increase the cost of doing business.

A number of people living in the vicinity of the toll road also complained of the aesthetics, such as increased noise levels and the visual impact of the highway.

Environmental damage to the Knysna estuary, fynbos and forests were also of concern.

The terrestrial ecology impact assessment states that a population of the endangered fynbos species Acmadenia alternifolia, which occurs only between the Knysna and Keurbooms rivers, could be wiped out by the proposed plan.

“Since this is a healthy population, its loss could have severe negative impacts on the survival of this species. Loss of this species has global consequences due to the fact that this species does not occur elsewhere,” the report said.

High erosion risks associated with the construction of the proposed route, which is preferred by Sanral as it caters more to the long-term projected traffic patterns, also came under the spotlight in a detailed submission by Sedgefield engineer Richard Batson.

The Erosion Impact Assessment describes a “very severe erosion hazard” on the stretch of the proposed route from the Knysna River to the intersection with the Rheenendal Road. It states that small changes made to the water-runoff management on the terrain, above or below the road on the steep slopes, could create slip-faces.

Batson said severe erosion warnings contained in the report “should have been enough to persuade anyone working on this project that to attempt to construct the toll highway along the western section of the preferred (proposed) route would be foolhardy.”

Moira Andrews, of CES, said the proposed route had been drawn up and the land acquired as road reserve about 30 years ago. Some of the comments received suggested that Sanral draw up new routes as substantial development had taken place since the purchase of the land.

Van der Merwe said a number of people had shown support for a more northern route, which would bypass Knysna, instead of cutting through the town‘s residential areas.

She said the northern route, which was one of the possible ideas considered in the Scoping Report, had been discarded as not being financially viable. The slopes were too steep and it went through the Knysna forest.

She said people were also concerned about the negative impact the highway would have on their property values.

The extended deadline for comments from the public closed last Friday.

By Katherine Wilkinson

Copyright Avusa Media Limited All rights reserved

                   

Previous page