Slow progress with road rehab project
It was expected that work would swiftly begin after the launch
When comparing work on the ground to the municipality’s plan on paper, progress has been slow during the first month of the Town Rehabilitation Programme. It is obvious that certain targets have not been met.
When launching the project on April 26, Mayor Mduduzi Myeza – accompanied by councillors and municipal officials and staff – said that road rehabilitation and pothole repairs will cover the CBD and even extend to areas outside of town.
He called on staff to expedite the repairs and ensure good-quality workmanship so that the potholes do not reappear.
READ MORE HERE: Mayor launches town rehab programme in Estcourt
Feedback from acting municipal manager
When providing feedback about the progress of the programme, Acting Municipal Manager Zakhona Ndlela said that, with the assistance of internal and external services, repairs have been made in Phillip, Victoria, Connor and Albert streets, as well as in Loskop Road and Canna Avenue.
She said the ‘progress on the ground is still according to plan’.
According to the plan, by the end of May, several badly-damaged streets in Forderville, Papkuilsfontein, Colita and the CBD should have been prepared and repaired.
However, it is evident that the repairs have not reached this stage.
Challenges
Ms Ndlela said that insufficient materials and plant breakdowns have been the biggest challenges in this project.
“A priority area that needs to be tackled is the Loskop road testing route. As soon as we have sufficient material and equipment, we will tackle this route. Critical areas are the corner of Connor and Albert streets, and areas in the Albert Street extension. Underlying factors have arisen concerning the condition of the roadbed. Having mentioned that, an alternative one can think of is outsourcing plant equipment for repairs, which is costly. One major factor is ground wetness, which results in repeated activity over and over again,” she added.
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