Circle construction halted as budget falls short
It also appears that there is a water line within the area of construction, of which contractors were unaware.
Insufficient budget allocation means the construction of the Laurie Road circle has been put on hold.
Initial estimates that the project would be completed by the end of July have been extended due to an underestimation of funds in the region of R1-million.
It also appears that there is a water line within the area of construction, of which contractors were unaware.
The water line will have to be moved before construction can continue.
This comes after the project was previously delayed for four months in order to relocate a fire hydrant.
“The relocation of pipelines is the reason insufficient budget was allocated to the project,” said the ward 18 councillor for Edenvale, Clr Heather Hart.
This is not the first project undertaken in Illiondale which has been riddled with problems.
In 2010/2011, the installation of gabions within the Illiondale spruit between the Cecil Auret Road bridge and Margaret Road proved to be a disaster.
“Some of them have collapsed and due to the way they were designed or situated within the spruit, the water has either found a way around them to the detriment of the river banks which are being seriously eroded, or under them,” said Clr Hart.
As the situation stands, a hydrology report is awaited in which recommendations will be made to either remove or replace the gabions.
In 2011, the Illiondale Outfall Sewer project was halted after only eight months when the contractor assigned to the project experienced cash flow problems.
Furthermore, Heartlands refused to allow the contractor to work on the Modderfontein Golf Course until assurances could be given regarding the quality of work and rehabilitation which the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) was reluctant to provide.
Despite the urgency of this project, with almost daily sewerage spills into the spruit, a new consultant was only recently appointed and the appointment of a new contractor is imminent.
“It is also rumoured that the contractor which could not fulfil the contract in the first place was apparently invited to provide a motivation for continuing with the project,” said Clr Hart.
The 2013 installation of gabions on the river banks at the Cecil Auret Road and Margaret Road bridges still needs to be completed.
The completion of this project also relies on the recommendations contained in the hydrology report.
In the meantime, part of the gabion at the Cecil Auret Road bridge has collapsed and the river banks at Margaret Road have been left in a compromised condition.
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