Heavy rains experienced in the last few weeks are said to be the cause behind the delays to reopen Snake Road.
This is according to the site agent and construction manager Martin Beneke, who shared that they are hoping to finish the project on May 18 at the latest.
The road that has been non-operational since last year November was scheduled to be reopened at the end of March but due to unforeseen circumstances, construction work on Snake Road had to be halted.
Speaking to Beneke on site on May 5, he highlighted that when the soil is wet it hinders them from proceeding with their work, hence the delay.
“Although we are almost done, we still need to finalise the G1 layer, the top structural layer of the road, tarring and cleaning of the road. We are pushing for the road to be reopened on May 13 but the latest will be on May 18,” said Beneke.
Following the conclusion of construction, members of the Gauteng Department of Transport and Public Works will then assess if the road is roadworthy.
The prolonged closure of that stretch of road from Pioneer Drive to Golden Drive has caused frustrations for motorists who have to use alternative routes to reach their destination.
The construction work on Snake Road forms part of the Rand Water pipeline project.
Also Read: Snake Road to reopen end of March
The road is now closed for the second time following its closure in 2019 due to a sinkhole. The road was reopened in October 2020.
According to the metro, another sinkhole, which developed on November 19, grew to about 15m wide and 15m deep within a short space of time, leading to the most recent closure of the road. It was found that a broken stormwater concrete pipe leakage was the cause of the sinkhole.
The City Times approached the City of Ekurhuleni for comment but was referred to the Gauteng Roads Department. The City Times is awaiting comment from the department.
Also Read: Part of Snake Road closed from today (November 5) for construction
