This has been a World First for a number of different reasons. But the goal remains the same – to stabilise a slope carrying a major 8 lane highway.

At one point, a shift occurred which moved a section of the road 1m to the side. This caused all sorts of problems, most notable that this is a major port of entry into one of the most important States in the country.

A large dewatering shaft with a 7m diameter was excavated to a depth of about 120m. Down the length of the shaft, horizontal dewatering wells are being drilled into the slope to assist with dewatering. A crew and their equipment are lowered into this pit below the static water level so dewatering has to take place 24/7.

These horizontal dewatering wells will carry the water from the unstable ground into the vertical shaft. Water from all the horizontal dewatering wells will run into this pit from where it will be pumped into holding tanks for settling and then into a pond.