The residents of Bedfordview are taking pothole repairs into their own hands.
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This is after the NPO, Better Bedfordview, reached an agreement with the City of Ekurhuleni last week.
Chairperson for the organisation, Marina Constas, said Better Bedfordview entered into a memorandum of understanding and a service level agreement for the repair of the potholes.
“We are exhilarated that we could undergo this pilot project with the City,” she said.
She added that it was exciting to see what a community could achieve.
“The potholes in Bedfordview have become a terrifying and painful situation for motorists and it could not be ignored any longer.”
Ward 20 councillor Jill Humphreys said over the last few weeks the number of claims submitted by residents had grown astronomically.
“The situation could honestly not be left another second,” Humphreys said.
She added that the way in which Better Bedfordview was repairing potholes was the future of road repairs.
“This is not just a plug in the road. Previous potholes repaired in our manner have lasted more than four years whereas standard tar plugs often fall apart in a few weeks or months,” Humphreys said.
“This shows what can be done when the community takes a stand. If this process can be expanded and rolled out through the metro footprint, we could be creating many jobs,” she said.
Better Bedfordview member Robi Massiceti said when he started developing in Bedfordview in the mid-1980s, the area boasted the highest number of homes priced at over R1-million in South Africa.
“It was a prestigious suburb with nice infrastructure.”
He added that many residents in the area would like to see the suburb become that sought after again.
Massiceti said the team behind Better Bedfordview realised the City has limited resources.
“We are happy to give our time and money to restore Bedfordview to its glory days.”
He added that one of the biggest problems for residents was the state of the roads in Bedfordview.
Fellow Better Bedfordview member Zishaan Singh said that the normal way of repairing potholes would never last.
“Tar and concrete are wet products that will shrink when it dries and pulls away from the edge of the pothole and the road. When it rains the patch deteriorates again and the pothole reappears.”
He said the Better Bedfordview pothole repairs are done with G5 gravel, which is more easily compactable.
The gravel is mixed with a nano-modified polymer, which is water-resistant and would not shrink because it doesn’t need to dry.
“Once completed the pothole is covered with a waterproof patch. Some repairs have lasted more than four years.
We as residents want 100% for this to succeed. There is proper science that goes into the repairs. It’s not just tar,” Singh said.
He added that restoring Bedfordview will have a knock-on effect on surrounding suburbs such as Edenvale and Germiston.
Better Bedfordview pothole repairs take anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours to complete depending on the condition of the road surface.