Swift M4 repairs applauded
Thelbridge Enterprise will also be doing the culvert repairs near Boys Town, with work set to start in January and finishing in April.
The M4 Tongaat River bridge was only able to open last Thursday because of a 24/7 work schedule to repair the nearby road above Westbrook’s Nguni complex.
Last year’s floods that damaged the bridge also caused landslides on the ocean side of the M4 above the complex, compromising the safety of the road.
Nguni residents say a partial sinkhole had formed which posed a threat to both passing cars and the complex below.
Amid concerns that the road repairs would be forgotten in favour of the bridge, Nguni’s body corporate threatened to interdict the bridge reopening if work on the road was not done.
Legal papers had already been drawn up and were ready to be sent, but were luckily not needed.
“We are extremely pleased to say that the repairs have been completed in time. From the day they started it has been remarkable and they have remained incredibly committed,” said body corporate legal representative, Gerald Nochumsohn.
“It feels like I’ve had a value add from my country for my income tax. It is a very, very pleasant rarity.”
Ballito-based Thelbridge Enterprise were contracted to do the work and started on October 16, along with Naidu Consulting Engineers.
Practical completion was done exactly eight weeks later on December 11, which was crucially within the window for the bridge reopening on December 14.
“The main work we did on site was creating a mechanically stabilised earth wall with a terramesh system to secure the slipped embankment,” said project manager, Muhammad Ali.
“Once that was done, it was around a 50 metre section of the road that needed reinstatement. We also put a drainage pipe underneath the road.”
And 24/7 work is not an exaggeration.
Ali said they had 28 labourers, split into two teams, working around the clock shifts to make the repair possible.
Thelbridge Enterprise will also be doing the culvert repairs near Boys Town, with work set to start in January next year and finishing in April.
To thank the team for their efforts on the M4, Nguni’s body corporate sponsored a braai last Wednesday.
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