Hendrik Potgieter Road bridge reconstruction project not moving fast enough for ‘exhausted’ community
As of February 25, the provincial roads department noted the first stage of bridge demolition at 10% complete.
Three months into the Hendrik Potgieter Road closure and progress is inching forward.
The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GPDRT) have been issuing periodic updates, even if the specifics of such updates leave residents with more questions than answers. As per a progress report issued on February 25, demolition of the bridge and culvert stood at just 10% complete while by March 4, contractors had dug two large access trenches on either side of the hole leading down to the damaged culvert.
At a public meeting held on March 2 to discuss issues within Ward 97, Councillor Jacques Hoon touched on the matter. Large trucks using the detour are still the biggest concern for residents but the councillor-maintained delivery trucks must have access to service retail stores in the area. He believed resources needed to be concentrated on long-haul vehicles using Hendrik Potgieter Road as a thoroughfare by stopping trucks near Gordon Road and before Cradlestone Mall at either end of the main arterial.
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The destruction of the surrounding roads is another ever-present annoyance, many residents are fearful that the small back roads may not last the best-estimate 10 months to reconstruct the bridge. Hoon stated that having authorities police every vehicle of a certain size was impractical and constantly patching and repairing the detour roads would be counterproductive as it would only waste dwindling City resources on a recurring problem.
The roads and curbs are not the only casualties as a water meter on Van Staden Road near the traffic circle have twice been crushed by trucks. Johannesburg Water confirmed at the Ward 97 meeting that the meter had been repaired and moved to a safer location alongside a wall. GPDRT themselves noted a challenge in obtaining law enforcement assistance, citing a lack of response from the provincial department of Community Safety as hampering efforts.
Those living near the epicenter of the chaos continue to sacrifice time and money adjusting to their circumstances. Noting the added weight of other service delivery failings, Martin van der Westhuizen from WRAP Residents Association said, “The community is exhausted. Travel time has increased significantly as kids need to be on time for school. Some kids now have to leave homes before 06:00 just to be on time to miss the traffic.”
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Sustained in putting pressure on administrators, Martin added, “There has been no urgency from JRA or GPDRT for getting the road fixed. They don’t understand that the alternative roads will collapse in due course due to the huge amount of traffic they must handle. The powers that be are not affected and could not care less. Would the outcome be different if Ward 97 and Ward 85 were not home to the official opposition?”
Clearing away what is left of the embankment and removing the damaged culvert must be done before the next stages can begin. All the while, residents are eagerly awaiting confirmation of a follow-up public meeting to discuss the project. Guarded 24 hours a day, a lone digger and dump truck are the only machines on site and every minute they sit idle is time absorbed by residents.
