Msunduzi commits R39 million to fight potholes

Msunduzi Municipality has declared war on potholes and has committed R39 million to tackle their proliferation on roads throughout the city.

This is not the first time the municipality publically declared its intention to bring the pothole problem under control, and road users have become accustomed to running the gauntlet whenever they venture with their vehicles on city roads.

According to a consolidated monthly report prepared by the infrastructure services business unit, 467,5 m2 of pothole repairs were completed in October this year. Since July, says the report, 13 909,5 m2 of pothole repairs were undertaken.

Despite the declaration of war, it’s unlikely the municipality stands a chance of winning the battle anytime soon, given the current deteriorating road conditions.

The report from the roads department indicates that much of the city’s road network has reached the “end-of-life” stage, requiring complete rehabilitation and resurfacing rather than trying to fill the cracks as they appear.

The visual assessment conducted on the roads that were repaired in October shows that on most of the roads that were repaired, the surface layer is drying up resulting in the development of cracks, potholes, and base failures.

“Such defects indicate that most municipal roads have exceeded the design lifespan, hence they are in dire need of crack sealing, resurfacing, and overlaying. In most cases pothole patching is not the answer, perhaps ‘chip and spray’ [single or double seal] method can be applied as an interim solution in order to extend the lifespan and reduce rapid development of potholes on municipal roads,” read the report.

Speaking to the publication, deputy mayor Mxolisi Mkhize said the municipality was determined to restore the dignity of Pietermaritzburg.

As the capital city, everyone coming to town needs to be proud about being in Pietermaritzburg. People need to feel that they are in town.

“There must be a difference due to the clean environment proving that you are indeed in the capital city of the province,” said Mkhize.

He said the budget allocation will allow the roads department to continue patching potholes and where necessary resurfacing roads to prolong their lifespan. “We are not only fixing city roads we are also moving to townships and rural areas.

“Recently we completed fixing road in Msunduzi Ward 7 and 11. In areas that are outside of the city we construct roads where there were none. We urge residents to bear with us as we will fix the infrastructure,” he added.

The Witness spoke to several tyre dealerships throughout the city and all have confirmed an increase in the number of damaged tyres and rims being reported by motorists.

Motorist Denver Reddy, who was having his vehicle attended to at a CBD tyre repair franchise, said he has spent thousands of rands on rim and tyre repairs.

“My car uses low profile, run-flat tyres that are more susceptible to damage from impact. I’ve already been though several sets of tyres that have been damaged by potholes. You just cannot dodge all of them, especially when there is traffic on both sides of the road.

“Sometimes you have to choose between veering to the side and risking a collision or having to drive through and damage the wheels,” said Reddy.

Reddy also criticized the execution of the current road repairs on Townbush Road.

“The company undertaking the works is not doing any of us any favours — they are being paid to do the work properly.

“There is no traffic control, the signage is confusing and they have opened lanes that are still under construction with no warning that drivers must be wary of differing road levels.”

It seems they do not work after hours or at night as many other road construction companies do. All we are residents and motorists are saying is do the job properly

“This is the busiest time of year on the roads and Townbush Road leading into the Chatterton Circle is one of the busiest roundabouts in the city,” said Reddy.

In other news – Photos: A look into radio presenter Khutso Theledi’s lobola negotiations

What a wedding celebration weekend for some well-known South African media personalities. Congratulatory messages were the order of the day as multi-award-winning Radio presenter Khutso Theledi and gospel singer, TV presenter, and businesswoman Winnie Mashaba showed off their wedding photos on social media as they celebrated with friends and family.

Metro FM presenter Khutso had a lobola celebration, and she shared how the day went with her Instagram followers. She posted an album of pictures with a caption: “Love across cultures, a promise made, a promise kept. #MakotiWaItaly.” Read More