Sutherland Avenue has been in bad shape for a long time but there is now some good news.
The road, which runs parallel to William Nicol, has had to undergo major repairs. It has been a sand road for more than a month during the makeover process and, as a result, many road users have been inconvenienced. As explained in the Sandton Chronicle article, Sutherland, a sand avenue, Week ending 30 September, large quantities of dust were created when drivers used the avenue to escape busy traffic on William Nicol and Sandton drives. The article also urged road users to avoid using this route during road repairs.
However, according to Quintin Smith of Aecom, the consulting engineers who are dealing with the repairs of Sutherland Avenue and are inspecting the progress, the makeover is almost complete and the safety benefits of the repairs will benefit both drivers and pedestrians. “Sutherland was in a bad state before the repairs. The road base had failed, resulting in many potholes… We essentially had to rebuild the road.”
The aim of the makeover was to strengthen the road and Smith delved into the technical process followed by the engineers in order to ensure that the road is repaired efficiently. “We stabilise the road using cement and bitumen [used as the glue or binder during road construction]. This forms a new road base, which is far stronger than the old road base… We also brought in kerbs [an edge with a raised sidewalk] to make for a better roadway.”
The team also introduced a storm water system which Smith stressed, creates a huge improvement on the previous structure of the road. The storm water system is installed with the aim of draining water into the underground system, preventing the water from settling on the road’s surface. This helps prevent potholes which usually form after heavy rainfall.
“We are also putting in a sidewalk for the many pedestrians who use Sutherland on a daily basis. Overall, the avenue will be in much better shape.”
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