Coleraine Drive repair budget skyrockets by R8-million

This according to Bertha Peters-Scheepers, spokesperson for the Johannesburg Roads Agency. She said the reconstruction of the bridge started in March and it was expected that the bridge would be repaired in four months.

The anticipated construction period now moves from July to mid-December this year and the budget for repairs has increased from R4.9 million to 12.9 million.

Peters-Scheepers said the reconstruction was delayed when a sewer manhole collapsed and created a leakage. Also, she said existing Telkom electricity cables slowed down progress because they were in the way of excavation.

“It was also discovered that the culvert was founded on very soft soil and that water was actually undercutting the structure,” added Peters-Scheepers.

This means the initial plan of merely replacing the culvert with a larger one was no longer practical. “The scope of the repairs is now bigger,” she said. “A more robust and stable structure is now required.”

The sewer leakage has since been temporarily repaired by Joburg Water. Peters-Scheepers said the roads agency and Joburg Water only needed one more week to permanently complete the diversion of the sewer pipe so that the roads agency could continue with excavation and subsequently continue with the reconstruction of the bridge.

She added that the electricity cables were no longer an issue since Telkom had moved and secured them.

“With construction anything can happen,” said Peters-Scheepers. “We need residents and motorists to be patient with us.”

Details: 0860 562 874; hotline@jra.org.za or @MyJRA on Twitter.

Do you agree or disagree with the roads agency’s decision to build a more robust and stable bridge structure instead of just replacing the culvert with a larger one? Tell us why on Facebook