POTHOLE BURDEN

Gaborone City’s potholes now a nightmare for motorists

► Several roads to be rehabilitated

► Some tenders have been appealed

Gaborone motorists have been urged to drive with caution to avoid causing traffic accidents and damage to their vehicles as a result of gaping potholes that litter most city roads.

Gaborone City Council is rolling out a maintenance plan to rehabilitate city roads and attributes the bad state of the roads to the recent heavy rains.

The roads to be rehabilitated include Gaborone Bonnington North - Block 7, Broadhurst Industrial, Block 3 residential area, Extension 16, Extension 20 and Taung.

According to the City Council, most roads in the city outlived their design life hence infiltration of rainwater into road surfaces. The situation is exacerbated by inadequate storm water drainage in the city.

The maintenance plan to simultaneously patch potholes will be done through in-house crew and outsourcing of works to private companies.

“The Council’s in-house crew has been busy patching potholes since April 2020 but due to the vast number of potholes they could not keep up, moreover the continuous heavy rainfalls also hamper the progress,” said Council’s public relations unit.

So far the in-house crew has covered 6500m2 since April 2020. The City Council has also awarded a tender for potholes patching, construction of speed humps and rumble stripes in Gaborone to five private companies and the contract for the above works has been signed.

According to the Council, so far three contractors are on site and internal roads in Phakalane, Sebele ward, Block 10 and Block 3 industrial area will be done by the in-house crew and they are already on the ground.

The Council however, indicates that the commencement of works for the aforementioned tender was delayed due to some bidders who took the matter to appeal and this led to deterioration of the current status of potholes in the City roads.

Additionally a tender for surfacing works for a 10-km asphalt overlay is to be done on Magang Avenue, Sashe North, Polokabatho and Magoshanyana roads.

The works have not commenced as some bidders took the matter to appeal and currently the matter has been appealed to High Court.

The Contractors will cover five areas including, Zone A, Ledumang, Tsholofelo, BBS Area, Tawana, Marang, Tsholofelo, Ginger, Ginger (BHC), Boikhutso Ward, SHHA area, Maruapula and Partial.

For Zone B will cover Main Mall Area, Government Enclave, Government Ward, Station and Bus Rank, Gaborone West Old Industrial, Newstance, New Naledi, New Canada, Village, Bontleng Area, White City Area, Extension 2, 4, 10, 12 areas.

Zone C, Block 7, Block 8, Broadhurst Industrial, Block 3, residential area, Ext 16, Ext 20 and Taung while Zone D, Gaborone West industrial, Old Naledi area, Phase 4 and Kgale View.

Zone E, Phase 1, Phase 2, Block 9, Block 5, Block 6 and CBD area.