The Johannesburg Development Agency has announced the site handover to contractors signalling the start of phase one of the storm water upgrade on 10 May.
The upgrade of the Louis Botha storm water system is a response from the agency after major flooding caused severe damage in Ward 74, including the destruction of the Paterson Park boundary wall and flooding of a number of homes and gardens.
Read: Police enforce bylaws along Louis Botha Avenue
Spokesperson for the agency, Susan Monyai said, “The scope of work for this financial year is to complete a detailed design and commence with construction on the identified priority areas which we refer to as phase one. The project will be implemented in phases over three financial years.”
During the first phase three sinkholes, discovered on fifth street in Orange Grove and fifth avenue in Norwood, will be fixed.The sinkholes were discovered during a detailed investigation of the area that also revealed an old storm water system which dates back to 1941.
Ward 74 councillor, David Fisher said that many of the houses in the area were built in the 1920s and 1930s when they were erected on the streams without taking flooding into account. He added that the streams were then channelised through a storm water system, like the one that was recently discovered.
Read: Pedestrians warned about hole on Louis Botha Avenue
The next part of phase one will see to the reinstatement of the eastern culvert of the storm water system in Paterson Park and will ensure repairs are done to a wall which had collapsed along Louis Road in Norwood on 27 November last year.
According to the CEO of the Johannesburg Development Agency, Chris Botes, the anticipated contract duration for these works will be eight months.
Details: www.jda.org.za
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