Historical landmark is missing a corner

GEORGE NEWS - A portion of the Silver River Bridge, a historical site on the Seven Passes Road, has been damaged. Images taken by a George Herald reader show that one of the concrete corners of the bridge is missing.

Although it is unclear exactly when the damage took place, some believe it happened after the heavy flood in November last year, when the Seven Passes Road was used as a detour while the Saasveld Road was closed for repairs.

According to another resident, some of the damage might have been caused by a timber truck that allegedly got stuck on one of the bridges in the area, and this reportedly took place many years ago.

Another bridge in the area, the Kaaimans Bridge, was also damaged a few years ago and has also not yet been restored.

Inquiries in this regard were sent to George Municipality, Garden Route District Municipality, Sanral and the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works. Feedback received from George Municipality and Sanral indicates that the roads do not not fall under either of their jurisdiction.

Head of communication for the WC Department of Transport and Public Works Jandré Bakker replied that they are currently determining under which road authority the road resorts. "If the road is under the authority of the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works, remedial work will be considered in line with priority and available resources."

Living history

The Silver River bridge was built in 1904 by the then Cape Government, in the time of King Edward VII. The concrete bridge replaced a wooden bridge of treated pine, built in the 1890s. "The oxen weren't keen on the wooden bridge, so the cement bridge was built," said Wilderness resident Hugo Leggat, who wrote the book Wilderness: Gateway to the Garden Route.

Leggat remembers watching the ox wagons going into town (George) as a seven-year-old boy, back in 1947. "It made quite an impression on me," he said.

The Silver River Pass is one of the Garden Route's "Seven Passes". The narrow tar road winds and twists through 2,7km of dense indigenous forest, dipping down to the Silver River.

It starts at the end of the Kaaimansgat Pass and ends at the picturesque Wilderness Heights. The road is a national monument, and was built around 1882 by Adam de Smidt, who was Thomas Bain's brother in law.