As part of the programme, Ward 104 councillor Mike Wood said damaged culverts were being replaced along Cumberland Road to avoid a potential disastrous bridge collapse.
Senzo Dhlamini, the site engineer, explained that the culverts needed to be replaced because the mass of water had been damaging the river banks.
After a study revealed that Johannesburg’s road network had deteriorated, Johannesburg Roads Agency structured this programme as an approach to road management that prioritises the preservation of existing infrastructure.
Johannesburg Roads Agency’s managing director, Skhumbuzo Macozoma, had explained that the focus of the project was to preserve roads that were in a good condition, such as Cumberland Road, to make sure that they did not deteriorate while maintaining and improving their quality.
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He said the resurfacing approach was cheaper for the roads agency and allowed them to easily restore roads to a very good condition.
“The damaged culverts on Cumberland Road have been an issue [which] concerned residents and myself have been following up on for about a year now, and we are very pleased that action is finally being taken before anything worse happens,” said Wood.
He added that Amanda Filocha, chairperson of The Friends of the Cumberland Road Bird Sanctuary, had been a big influence in highlighting the urgency of the matter.
“It has been a great worry for residents and we’re lucky there haven’t been any heavy rains to make the situation any worse than it is,” he said.
Dhlamini added, “We’ll be introducing gabions and strengthening the paving to prevent further erosion. When the river embankment is protected, the road will be safe from collapsing due to water damage.”
He said the road renovations are expected to continue for the next six months. “The bulk of the project includes adding gabions and ensuring the protection of the river embankment,” he said.
“So the project might even be completed earlier.”
Traffic calming measures have been positioned along Cumberland Road where the construction is taking place, and residents are urged to drive carefully in that area and be patient while construction is underway.
Details: www.jra.org.za
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