I THOUGHT I had already written and published my swansong, but I cannot let this issue escape airing.
For those of us who use Stapleton Road in Pinetown to and from work or school every day, the section of road from the Stapleton Road/Otto Volek intersection to under the railway line past the brick factory, in both directions, has become an obstacle course.
I cannot understand the logic of repairing a water leak in the road and then filling the resultant donga with sand. It’s the rainy season. Haven’t they noticed or do they not have a little common sense to know that rain and sand-filled holes are not compatible?
The result of this unfinished project is a serious obstacle close to the traffic lights at East Road, heading towards Sandy’s Centre. Cars swerve to avoid it, but wait … next to it there’s a ruddy great crater in the other lane. Swerve too much and the consequences could be dire.
These two obstacles are the cherry on the top of a crumbling, subsiding surface which we commuters must accept as the way things are in backwater Pinetown.
But that’s not the end of it.
Going down the hill on the way home presents its own challenges. Dodge the minor potholes at the top end of Stapleton Road and gird your loins for the challenge which lies ahead. The intersection of Eden Road and Stapleton Road must be one of the busiest in Pinetown as traffic coming from Durban peels off here to reach Pinetown, New Germany and Clermont. Over the past month, the work of a Mastermind contestant has been an added fillip to the adventure of driving home in Dodge City. Some genius has excavated a hole abutting the manhole in the centre of the intersection. Hit it at speed and drivers will surely lose a tyre, or worse. Most regular users of the route have learnt how to get over this trap, but woe betide the visitor on a dark night.
How pleased we were when a section of Stapleton Road was resurfaced about a year ago, but even here, on this briefly beautiful road, the signs of shoddy workmanship are beginning to show.
First there was the issue with the manhole which had a moat dug around it which stayed in that dangerous condition for weeks. Now repaired, badly, one side of the manhole is beginning to sink slightly. It’s only a matter of time … Recently there was another issue and a strip of road was dug up. This was, thankfully, retarred, but not very well. Sure enough, this bit is beginning to subside so there’s a nice little hollow to put a car off kilter and wake up sleepy drivers. Unfortunately it is an indication that all is not well with whatever is under that repair and soon enough they will be digging up our new road and the whole sorry saga will continue.
Then there is Escom Road where there are potholes near the taxi rank on a road which was resurfaced a few months ago. In fact the potholes developed within days of the road’s completion, and it doesn’t look like this will be rectified soon.
“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” should be taken to heart by those who govern replacing road markings on the newly completed resurfacing of Pinetown roads.
I saw the shattered glass on the road at the intersection of Escom Road and Josiah Gumede (Old Main Rd) this morning, the evidence of an accident that was bound to happen, although I cannot say that this was the cause of the recent crash.
Before the road was replaced the road markings at the traffic lights indicated that one could turn left or right from the outside lane.
This changed when the markings were replaced and now left turn is only from the inside lane. But people are creatures of habit and obviously those accustomed to this route have not taken note of the new markings. So people in the outside lane are still turning left across those who may legitimately do so. The problem comes when those who have legally turned left change lanes in Josiah Gumede Road only to find a vehicle where there should not be one. This is a favourite ploy of taxi drivers but they are not the only culprits.
Metro Police could make a killing at this intersection.
