Recent storms have created more damage to the river edges along the freeway. This damage is mainly due to water from waves washing and pulling out large volumes of sand from underneath and behind protective structures. Erosion is working ever closer to the freeway.
While this seems at first to be an aesthetic matter for residents of South Perth, were damage to extend to the freeway there would be economic implications for the State of WA.
Here the sand beneath new pavement has been washed out, allowing recent works to collapse.
These pictures show clearly that the damage is not caused by impact, but rather by the extraction of supporting sand underneath limestone blocks and pavement.
The next area showing incipient damage is on the river edge next to the Narrows Bridge. Here the protective works are being undermined and may soon collapse, leaving the freeway at risk. Note how close this is to the traffic.
It has been suggested that 'gabions', parcels of rock wrapped up in wire, could protect the walls. Here is a picture of what happens to such parcels after a short time. The wire netting rusts and tears, leaving loose piles of small rocks. Along Mounts Bay Road there is now a large problem with what to do next.
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