City of Cape Town Link

City working hard to complete road repairs and resurfacing ahead of winter

The City's Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas, joined the Roads Infrastructure Management team responsible for the Khayelitsha district out in Samora Machel earlier this week to assess the condition of the roads in the area and to understand some of the challenges the team is facing on the ground.'The City's Roads Infrastructure Department district offices have made great progress with the backlog of pothole repairs since the end of last year and are working hard to complete as much road resurfacing and repairs over the next two months before our rainy season arrives in all its might.'I went back to Samora Machel this week to assess the current state of the roads. The team highlighted a few areas where they have recently completed road resurfacing or pothole repairs that are already showing signs of deterioration or have been damaged due to the pooling of water on these roads. This is a direct result of the illegal disposal of grey water onto these roads. <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> <img src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Images%202/DSC_8183.jpg" class="responsive" alt="" style="width:936px;" /> </figure>'I have to stress that no matter how many times our teams fix potholes and deliver on road resurfacing projects, the fact remains that run off resulting from the illegal disposal of grey water or unreported water leaks will leave our road surfaces vulnerable. The new roads deteriorate and disintegrate as soon as it is repaired.'It is illegal for residents to allow grey water from car washes or outlets from their washing machines for example, to run out onto the road surface. These roads will never last and will always be in a poor condition as a result. This is happening across the city and literally undoes the hard work they have put in to do the repairs and impacts the surrounding communities.'Please report pooling water, water leaks or the illegal disposal of water on our roads via the City's website or call centre as the need for repetitive and frequent repairs puts a strain on already limited budgets for road maintenance,' said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas. <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> <img src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Images%202/DSC_8206.jpg" class="responsive" alt="" style="width:999px;" /> </figure>Roads that have the most traffic in the respective suburbs have been prioritised since the start of the drier season. The City is aware that in some areas, the permanent pothole repairs have not been done yet and can assure residents that these will be addressed. Importantly, these "make-safe" repairs are not a permanent solution, they are a crucial first step in ensuring public safety and mitigating further damage to the road. This temporary solution prevents a small pothole from becoming a much larger hole later.In terms of pothole repairs, road resurfacing and rehabilitation in the following areas have been receiving attention over the last few months, are currently being addressed and form part of the department's programme ahead of winter:Blaauwberg district:<ul><li>Selected roads in Marconi Beam, Sunset Beach, Bloubergsands, Du Noon, Tableview, Sunningdale, Parklands and Atlantis have been resurfaced or rehabilitated. Pothole repairs have been done in certain parts of Joe Slovo and Du Noon.</li><li>The district is currently attending to the road resurfacing of selected roads in Atlantis; the gravel rehabilitation of Zonnekus Road and pothole repairs in areas in Joe Slovo, Milnerton.</li><li>Over the next three months, the district has planned road resurfacing and rehabilitation projects for selected roads in Brooklyn, Rugby, Century City and Atlantis </li></ul>Areas in Du Noon and Joe Slovo where grey water on the surface is a huge challenge for this district.Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain district:<ul><li>Selected intersections and roads in Thembokwezi and Mxolisi Phetani in Site C, Khayelitsha; Tafelsig; Colorado; Browns Farm; Lentegeur; Woodlands; Westridge; Beacon Valley; Portlands and Rocklands as well as pothole repairs in the areas of Mxolisi Phetani, Site C and Nonqubela, Site B have been completed.</li><li>The district is currently attending to road resurfacing in Mxolisi Phetani, Site C and pothole repairs along various road sections within the district.</li><li>Over the next two months, the district has planned road resurfacing for streets in Umrhabulo Triangle, Makhaza and pothole repairs specifically in Philippi, Browns Farm, Old Crossroads, Lower Crossroads, Heinz Park, Samora Machel and Umrhabulo Triangle in Makhaza.</li></ul>Areas in Browns Farm; Samora Machel, Lower Crossroads, Kosovo, Heinz park, Mxolisi Phetani, Site C; Nonqubela, Site B; Victoria Mxenge; IlItha Park, Eyethu; Silvertown; Mandela Park; Harare; Kuyasa; Enkanini; Umrhabulo Triangle, Makhaza and Tafelsig where grey water on the surface is prevalent is a huge challenge for this district. <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> <img src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Images%202/DSC_8222.jpg" class="responsive" alt="" style="width:924px;" /> </figure>Bellville district:<ul><li>Over the past few months, pothole repairs have been completed in the Parow Industria; Sacks Circle; Elsies River Industrial; Kempenville; Oakglen; Ruyterwacht and Goodwood areas.</li><li>The district office will commence with pothole repair projects in De La Haye; Richmond Estate; Ravensmead; Edgemead; Avon; Leonsdale; Edgemead; Bothasig; Parow; Delft and Belhar very soon.</li></ul>Southern district:<ul><li>Selected roads in Scarborough; Hout Bay; Kirstenhof; Retreat; Constantia and Wynberg have been resurfaced.</li><li>Pothole repairs along roads in Clovelly; Fish Hoek; Simons Town; Noordhoek; Sunnydale; Glencairn; Westlake; Muizenberg; Tokai; Retreat; Diep River; Wynberg; Rondeboch; Bishopscourt; Claremont; Kenilworth; Newlands; Rosebank; Mowbray; Southfield and Claremont have been completed.</li><li>The district is currently attending to road resurfacing of selected roads in Plumstead; Kenilworth and the Muizenberg area, as well as pothole repairs across the district. </li><li>Over the next two months the district has planned for road resurfacing and rehabilitation projects roads in Steenberg; Retreat; Newlands; Rondebosch and Constantia. </li></ul>Areas in the bigger informal areas such as Imizamo Yethu and Masipumhelele where grey water on the surface is prevalent is a huge challenge for this district. Carwash effluent, water leaks, and soap/solvent greywater disposal can have several detrimental effects on asphalt surfaces and the underlying layer works of roads in the following ways: <ul><li>Soap and solvents act as degreasers, breaking down the asphalt binder that holds the aggregate particles together. This weakens the pavement structure, making it more susceptible to cracking and pothole formation. Oils and greases from car washes again softens the asphalt and makes it more prone to deformation under traffic loads. This can lead to the formation of wheel tracks and uneven surfaces.</li><li>Pooling water and leaks can infiltrate the layers beneath the asphalt surface. This can lead to the saturated soils losing strength and no longer able to support the weight of traffic, leading to settlement and cracking of the asphalt surface. The water weakens the overall structure and shortens the lifespan of the road.</li><li>Illegal dumping of waste in drainage systems, especially in informal settlements causes water to pool on the road surface for extended periods, increasing the time for asphalt degradation and infiltration into the underlying layers.</li></ul> End

2024-04-04T22:00:00Z

GP0|#1d539e44-7c8c-4646-887d-386dc1d95d70;L0|#01d539e44-7c8c-4646-887d-386dc1d95d70|City news;GTSet|#62efe227-07aa-45e7-944c-ceebacca891d

Tenders awarded
Think water
Pertussis - whooping cough
Chickenpox (Varicella Zoster)