William Nicol in trouble

Willaim Nicol Drive is in trouble and, according to Ward 102 councillor David Potter, the collapse of this road has been inevitable for a while.

In the Sandton Chronicle article, Drive with caution in Sandton, published Week ending 27 May, the predictions of Potter were discussed. The ward councillor hypothesised that ‘William Nicol at Peter Place will, at some point, collapse’.

This prediction appears to have come true as the embankment next to the road is visibly collapsing.

“The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has, at last, given project priority to the rehabilitation of the embankments along William Nicol Drive, close to Peter Place. The embankment is located at William Nicol Drive travelling north towards Peter Place, between the Engen Service Station and the Jaguar Motor Vehicle Dealership,” explained Potter.

He further highlighted that his efforts to solve the problem began four years ago. “Since early 2012, I have been requesting the JRA to give urgency to the fast-eroding embankments which pose both a danger to motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. For a number of years, the embankment has eroded such that pedestrians have been unable to traverse north to south and motorists are put at risk while travelling in the southbound lane due to the undermining of the road base.”

Read: Ballyclare Drive crumbles

Potter added that during the period of heavy rains in 2013, the agency ‘placed a huge amount of dump rock along the side embankment and in the hollow under the road surface to hold it up’.

Potter said, “Whilst it has taken some time to get to the construction stage, motorists, cyclists and pedestrians will soon breathe a sigh of relief as the embankments are going to be rehabilitated. The most important being the rehabilitation of walkways on either side of the embankments. Currently, there is no space for pedestrians or cyclists to traverse across the river culvert bridge along William Nicol Drive at this location.”

Potter concluded that, as the councillor of Ward 102, the project is welcomed. “Motorists should expect the project to take around four months to complete with as minimal road disruptions as possible.

“Where a lane on one or either side needs to be closed off, sufficient visible warning will be provided. Motorists are encouraged to take caution when travelling in the location of the construction work.”

In response to these statements, the road agency’s spokesperson, Bertha Peters-Scheepers said, “Just to clarify, over the past few years, JRA has undertaken maintenance to the sidewalk and embankment which had collapsed due to erosion from storm water, however, this was an interim measure until the embankment erosion could be permanently resolved.”

She explained that, according to the agency, Potter’s aforementioned statement about pedestrians not being able to use the embankment and motorists being at risk is inaccurate. “At no stage did the erosion place motorists at risk while travelling in the southbound lane, nor has the road base been undermined. Instead, motorists would be affected by excessive water on the road during heavy downpours which is now being addressed with the construction of necessary storm water drainage.

Read: Construction on Ballyclare Drive nearing completion

“Furthermore, the embankment fill has been damaged by storm water, and the embankment is also very steep with a lack of pedestrian facilities [as] there was only a narrow, single lane available to pedestrians previously.”

She stressed that the road agency’s project, with a budget of R3.8 million, will address these issues. “This project includes a reinstatement, gabion reinforcing of the embankment to prevent future erosion, and widening the fill to provide comprehensive sidewalk infrastructure on William Nicol Drive between Republic Road and Peter Place.

“[The] duration of the project is four months, construction will start as soon as a contractor has established a site camp.”

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