Metro steps up effort to fix gaping holes in city roads
End to pothole hazard for Berea
FRUSTRATED motorists in Buffalo City Metro can expect some relief from pothole-filled roads as a R109million project to maintain roads, stormwater drains and bridges kicks into high gear.
This week maintenance and repair work was scheduled to take place in Buffalo Flats, Nahoon, Cambridge, Cambridge West, Quigney, Wilsonia, Gonubie, Beacon Bay and North End.
Other areas scheduled for road work this week included King William’s Town’s ward 37 and the Berlin industrial area.
The Democratic Alliance’s ward 28 (incorporating Beacon Bay) councillor Marion Mackly confirmed there was a team fixing potholes in her ward. However, she did not believe it would make a dent in the problem.
“They repair the potholes and within a month all the work is out.
“I was told the way they do it is wrong. It is not the correct way.
“There is a small pothole team going around paid by the municipality, but there are so many potholes – a huge number. I have sent an e-mail to the roads maintenance department with the names of streets that need to be to be fixed,” said Mackly.
According to the BCM pothole and maintenance repair schedule, next week repair work will be carried out in Amalinda, Stoney Drift, Cambridge West, Arcadia, Braelyn, Duncan Village, Ginsberg, Schornville and Berlin.
Between December 11 and December 29 Mdantsane’s NU1, 2, 5, 13 and 14 will be attended to.
Dimbaza and Zwelitsha will also receive their due, as will Gonubie, the East London central business district, Dorchester Heights, Scenery Park and Braelyn.
BCM spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya said residents and motorists could report potholes on (043) 705-9220 or 9223 during office hours.
Potholes were a moving target that needed attention daily, he added.
“Potholes are being attended to as per the BCM potholes maintenance programme.
Weather conditions contribute to the delay in some instances but, overall, we are pleased with our progress.
“Thus far [from July 1] an amount of R4-million has been spent on material for potholes, which is exclusive of internal staff salaries. An amount of R2-million [will be spent on] engaging small contractors during December as part of ‘operation catch-up’ and also to cope with the influx of vehicles that will be going in and out of the city during this period,” Ngwenya said.
A number of other areas – including Greenfields, Parkside, Vergenoeg, Egoli, Selborne, Vincent, Sunny Ridge, Wilsonia and Haven Hills – are due for pothole maintenance and repairs from January to June.— BEREA residents warmly welcomed the sight of BCM workers repairing potholes recently.
Samkelo Ngwenya, municipal spokesman, said the repairs were part of a larger rehabilitation project that was being undertaken by BCM’s internal construction team.
“The said team is informed by a roads conditional assessment undertaken by BCM’s Roads division,” he explained.
Ngwenya said the municipality had about 12 pedestrian rollers – which are the tools used to repair potholes and road damage – in operation throughout its three regions.
He said municipal residents could report pothole complaints on (043) 705-9220/23.