Rabie Street recess finally receives attention
FONTAINEBLEAU – Rabie Street should soon be safer now that the infamous recess is being repaired.
Johannesburg Roads Agency workers have begun repairing the recess on Rabie Street, Fontainebleau.
This about six weeks after the agency’s spokesperson Bertha Peters-Scheepers said the agency would “immediately” temporarily secure the section of road. The recess is situated in the left lane between 7th Avenue and Percy Road heading toward Malibongwe Drive and was caused by a burst water pipe.
In the six weeks since its formation, the recess was left alone to grow, endangering road users and their vehicles caught driving through the ever-widening and deepening trench.
According to Odirile Modise, who lives in a house next to Rabie Street, about 30m from the recess, many road users suffered during this time.
“The other day a BMW X5 burst a tire,” he said.
“People cannot see [the recess] at night and hit it. I can hear the thumps from where I live. Every time someone hits it they stop and check their car.”
Peters-Scheepers explained that the roads agency waited the six weeks because it had not received a work order from Johannesburg Water, who had repaired the burst water pipe under the road, which the roads agency needed before work could commence.
Ward 102 councillor David Potter and Ward 104 councillor Mike Wood expressed their dissatisfaction with the wait, and raised the issue with the roads agency and Johannesburg Water until work began.
During their discourse, Potter said to Skhumbuzo Macozoma, managing director of the roads agency, “This is a pure example of complete ineffectiveness of the various of levels of management you have. This has already been reported twice in the local paper weeks ago and the tar is still not done. Your depot is leaving my motorists at huge risk.”
Peters-Scheepers explained the process of repair.
First dry soil is placed into the recess.
The soil is then compacted before crasher stones mixed with cement and river sand are placed in the recess, which is also compacted.
“The last stage will be to compact with hot asphalt so as to bring the road back to its normality,” she said.
