RESIDENTS of Morningside’s Earl Haig Road are breathing a sigh of relief after long-awaited sinkhole repairs approach completion.

In July, Berea Mail reported on a string of structural issues following a burst pipe in May 2022 that resulted in danger-posing sinkholes. The road could only be fixed by completely stripping its foundation.

“The damage was repaired by the municipality in July of 2022, but just a year later, the sinkholes returned, causing a major safety hazard for Morningside residents and road users,” said Ward 27 councillor Ernest Smith.  He is delighted with how far the repairs have come.

Also read: City tardy in fixing Morningside road

“I am happy to announce that the repair work on Earl Haig Road is almost complete, and these roads should be usable in the next two weeks. There has been a significant amount of money (R3.5 million +) and effort invested into getting Earl Haig Road fixed over the last two years in order to get the road and water infrastructure back into an operational state with the ultimate goal of serving the residents.

“With this, I have also asked the Roads Department, at a planning level, to assess various roads that need rehabilitation across the ward, such as Churchill Road and Lillian Ngoyi (Old Windermere) Road, as well as others. I believe assessments are being done to determine what lifespan remains and what work needs to be done, however, these efforts will continue.”

Residents are still concerned about the regular use of the road by taxis, which they say poses a danger to elderly and young pedestrians.

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