JRA responds to Etna Street collapse
The Johannesburg Roads Agency says technical and cost assessments are underway to fix collapsed Etna Street.
Etna Street in Florida Hills has been a major problem for residents for over three years now.
The road suffered severe damage during heavy rains in 2022, which resulted in the street being closed to traffic.
Despite ongoing attempts by residents and the Florida Hills Residents Association to engage with the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) about the deterioration of the road, very little has been done.
According to a committee member of the association, Dave Jennings, the bottom section of Etna Street and Kenya Road washed away during a particularly severe rainstorm, after which JRA came to fix the damage.
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“Unfortunately, they took all the rubble from the fixed bottom section and dumped it over the damaged top section of the road. Another section of the road has since started to collapse. This could all have been prevented had the necessary maintenance been done on the stormwater and sewerage systems.”
Jennings adds that JRA is fully aware of the cause of the underground erosion.
According to Jennings, the problem emanated from higher up along Ontdekkers Road, where poorly maintained stormwater and sewerage pipes keep blocking, due to them being installed at 90-degree angles.
“This causes them to overflow, and of course by the time it reached this area, which is much lower-lying, the pressure is very strong, causing severe erosion of the ground underneath the tarred road.”
The Roodepoort Record approached the JRA for answers, and according to spokesperson Bertha Peters-Scheepers, investigations are underway to determine the extent of the damage to the road and underground infrastructure.
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“At this stage, we know that the road collapse happened as a result of aged infrastructure in the form of the corrugated stormwater system. Once the investigation is concluded, we will be in a position to communicate repair time frames.”
She adds that technical and cost assessments are underway.
“Once these are finalised, and budget allocation is done, the rehabilitation process can begin. In the meantime, the road closure will remain in place and motorists can continue to use Matopos and Kenya roads as alternative routes.”
