The uncertainty about the commencement of the construction on Pierre Road has been addressed by the MMC for Economic Development and Ward 97 councillor, Leah Knott.
Parts of Pierre Road, Alec Street and Short Street were closed off before the end of last year following concerns about the safety of the road infrastructure.
Read the initial article here:
https://roodepoortnorthsider.co.za/287146/unsafe-roads-closed-for-rehabilitation-in-ruimsig/
The Joburg Road Agency (JRA) declared the roads unsafe after assessments were done and a need was identified to rehabilitate a major culvert infrastructure over the stream which is currently unsafe for both vehicles and pedestrians.
The inspection also discovered that the road reserve on the downstream side is crumbling and unstable. In addition, there were severe cracks on the road and it was assumed that the base does not adequately support the surface layer.
In the midst of several complaints from residents who are unhappy about using gravel detour roads daily and the increase in crime on the barricaded routes, Leah has advised that the groundwork is expected to begin this year, a process which she saw as fortunate for the ward, since government procurement can take long periods of time to be approved.
“They (the service providers) have confirmed that they will start this year. This means we are very lucky compared to two other wards in the region that actually had to wait for two years for the process to even start,” Leah said, also indicating that the service provider can take from three to six months to commence, also due to government procurement procedures which do take time. She also indicated that the process also included the task of obtaining the Water Use Licence from the government, a process which has delayed repairs to the Spring Road bridge in Weltevreden Park.
Leah added that she understands the inconvenience that is caused during this process; however, she was adamant that closing off the road was the right thing to do. “They had to close it because we were looking at a situation where somebody could have fallen through the road at any time – something we didn’t want to have happen,” she explained.
She also attributed the problem to the lack of maintenance and development in the Ruimsig AH area. “[Certain big] roads have a lifespan of about 10 to 15 years and small roads such as Pierre Road have a life of about five to seven years. This road has not been maintained for many years, and with the area becoming so developed it’s become a lot busier,” she explained.
In a bid to improve this situation, Leah stated, “We are planning on upgrading the area and uplifting the urban boundary which will allow us to bring in better upgraded or quality roads. At the moment, agricultural properties pay less rates and taxes than commercial residential properties – and resources cannot be allocated outside of the urban boundary”.
JRA managing director, Goodwill Mbatha, previously indicated that the closure will be in force until March 2020, by which time when the culvert will have been repaired.
Lastly, Leah suggested that property developers upgrade the dusty roads leading to their properties, and then deduct their expenditure from the bulk service contribution.
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