Durbanville is not the only Cape Racecourse undergoing upgrades and the news that a pedestrian bridge will be built over the chute for access to and from the parade ring at Kenilworth Racecourse will be welcomed by many – particularly with the congested major racedays in mind.
The bridge concept, initiated by the Sun Met planning team, has been tried previously and its subsequent failure has been the catalyst for some discussion already with the jockeys who have raised some concerns .
Kenilworth Racing Liaison Officer Teresa Esplin said in a communication inviting input from stakeholders that engineering has come a long way since the first bridge.
“In an effort to engage with everyone and to find a way in which this can work, a full-sized bridge will be built at Kenilworth over the chute, commencing Monday 24 October 2016. Everyone is welcome to come and have a look at it during the construction process, and ask questions and raise concerns or make suggestions. The plan is that once the structure is to everyone’s satisfaction, the bridge will remain in place for everyone – especially the horses, to get used to,” said Esplin.
She added that they have already raised the obvious issues of noise created by foot traffic while horses are crossing under the 4m high bridge, as well the risk of people hanging out over the top, potentially dropping things as well as making sure the bridge is high enough.
“As I explained to the jockeys, multiple layers of material have been factored in to deal with the noise of foot traffic and the bridge will be enclosed so that racegoers won’t be tempted to hang over the sides, which also alleviates the issue of congestion on the bridge,” she said.
She closed by explaining that the alternative of an underpass had not been viable due to civil engineering considerations.
The R5 million Sun Met will be run on Saturday 28 January.
