After extensive renovations at Ashford Estate in Bryanston, the rehabilitation of the embankment has been completed.
The project started in May this year, although the area has been identified to be rehabilitated around five years ago.
This according to Zoleka Jika, marketing, communications and customer relations management at the Johannesburg Roads Agency who said the water that was discharged from the stormwater pipe was eroding away the sides of the channel embankment. “This was posing a risk to adjacent properties.”
Jika said the project was completed on 6 September, with a few outstanding snags still to be rectified by the team consisting of 17 people. She added that the banks were excavated and shaped by hand as the contractor due to the space constraints of the site.
“The gabion and reno-mattress baskets come in a folded format, which is unfolded into shape and fastened using wire on site. These baskets are then filled with approved rocks.”
She continued that more than 100 baskets of different sizes were used and one of the challenges was the constant flow of water from the existing stormwater pipe as the water had to be diverted. Another challenge was, “Due to space constraints and vehicle weight restrictions within the estate, most of the works had to be carried out using labour-intensive construction methods.”
According to Jika the total cost of the project was just under R3 million.
Ward 104 councillor Mike Wood said they have done the construction because the water was gouging away and eventually would have affected the driveway of the property next to it. He said that it must have been very frightening for the residents, but the rehabilitation is very solid construction and gives residents some piece of mind. “The guys have worked extremely hard.”
Nigel Mullin, who has been a resident in the estate for 16 years, said during the rainy season the water comes down like a flood and it is very dramatic. “My neighbour has been dealing with the issue as it was getting to a stage that if it was not fixed her driveway would have collapsed.”
He said the contractors have been friendly and have done their best not to disrupt them too much. “At the moment they are busy doing the final touch-ups.”
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