Potholes across Polokwane are being attended to – Municipality

POLOKWANE – The Polokwane Municipality plans to have addressed all major and dangerous potholes in the city by the end of February.

Repair work has already begun as the city’s roads are riddled with potholes as a result of heavy rains and flooding over the past fortnight.

Running water exacerbates the damage already seen on tar roads across Polokwane prompting outrage from motorists.

Last week, the roads, transportation and storm water units repaired potholes on Witklip Street in Ladanna and said they would continue up to Market Street in the CBD.

On Tuesday (February 21), the team worked on major damage in Mika Street in Laboria but there is still a mountain to climb as other areas in the city have reported significant damage and massive potholes.

Days after the flash flooding on February 1, motorists vented their frustration in WhatsApp groups and requested the municipality be swift in fixing the issue. “We couldn’t bear ducking through the potholes before, but there are a lot more now and our cars are at risk of damage,” one motorist said.

The situation at night is even worse with a motorist telling the Polokwane Review-Observer that they are prone to accidents because they are having to either swerve on to the other side of the road or towards pavements or bushes to avoid potholes.

Municipal communications manager Matshidiso Mothapo said work on non-critical potholes will begin after February.

“All potholes should be attended to by mid March this year in all areas especially the bus and taxi routes, major collector and arterial roads in the city and surrounding suburbs and our townships. The program started in October and was drastically set back by the heavy rains at the beginning of the year and the ones at the beginning of February,” he said.

Mothapo added that there is a budget to repair potholes but that the municipality relies on internal staff as there are no contractors in place.