Dear Editor,
Presumably the collapsed culvert and the underlying metal pipe have been fixed and traffic is restored to Sheriff Street and the Railway Embankment intersection. I read the articles in the SN on 21.4.09 and 22.4.09 and could not comprehend what the function of the “underlying metal pipe” was. Is it a utility pipe or drainage pipe? Among the high profile construction ‘inspectors’ were the City Engineer (ag) and the Minister of Public Works.
I have a few questions for both of them. How important is this culvert to the Kitty/Campbellville drainage basin/outfall? What are the sizes of the collapsed culvert and the one which replaced it? Was a ‘quick’ culvert analysis done to determine if the pipe size was adequate for the amount of water that is expected to flow through it in another 10-20 years?
The Mayor of Georgetown’s letter to the editor (SN 24.4.09) captioned ‘Keeping the city drained…’ claims there is a Georgetown Development Plan. Is drainage included? The city cannot afford to upgrade the entire drainage system, but as individual existing structures fail these should be upgraded based on a future design and proposed improvement plan for the city. If uncertainty arises, use engineering judgment to increase pipe size or the number of pipes versus digging up this heavy-traffic thoroughfare in a few years to correct the situation.
Yours faithfully,
Ralph V Seegobin
