Brakpan drivers swerve and pay as potholes persist

The CoE recently announced that its Pothole Repair Blitzs Programme, launched in May, has successfully repaired over 50km of roads, covering approximately 275 000m2 of pothole damages.

While some potholes in Brakpan have received attention, scores of local motorists have found themselves out of pocket due to the poor condition of the town’s roads, with many having to fork out extra cash for damaged tyres and vehicles.

A pothole at the intersection of Hospital and Main Reef roads, heading from Brakpan North to either Benoni or Springs, is a major cause for concern for motorists who travel this route regularly.

Described as a crater, the hole and surrounding patch of road is water-logged, which exacerbates the problem as motorists are unable to see the danger.

This road carries large amounts of traffic in and out of town, as many motorists are hesitant to use the route to Benoni through the Plastic City informal settlement.

The hole has been left to get bigger and bigger, and motorists are forced to play dodge ’ems to avoid the hole – posing further hazards such as accidents. Resident Clif Jacobs told the Brakpan Herald he has reported this particular pothole to the CoE several times.

“Nothing has been done regarding the problem. The water running there is from the mine and the zama zamas,” he said.

As reported in the Herald’s July 18 edition, Ward 97 Clr Brandon Pretorius stated there is a trench along this road that needs to be opened to prevent flooding and to allow for pothole repairs, but intimidation from illegal miners has made it impossible for crews to operate safely.

“They are purposely blocking the trench to use the water, not caring about the effect that it has,” he said.

Questions posed at the time by the Herald to the municipality pertaining to these allegations went unanswered. This isn’t however, the town’s only massive problem pothole, and roads in all suburbs are pockmarked, with motorists fed up with these “tyre-eaters”.

According to the CoE, the repair blitz programme is a focused initiative to tackle potholes across the city, and since its inception it has significantly enhanced the mobility of commuters, goods, and services while improving overall road safety for all users.

A key feature of the programme is its collaborative approach from all the city’s regions. Teams from all depots – Brakpan, Benoni, Nigel and Springs in the east; Edenvale, Kempton Park, Tembisa in the north; and Alberton, Boksburg, Germiston and Vosloorus in the south – pool their resources, including labour, materials and machinery, to focus collectively on a single targeted area.

The city stated this united approach ensures faster and more efficient repairs and maximises manpower and equipment deployment for optimal impact.

It is also proud that this coordinated effort has led to noticeable improvements in road network conditions throughout Ekurhuleni.

Focus has been placed on maintaining infrastructure within key industrial zones and main thoroughfares, reinforcing investor confidence and supporting the city’s economic growth.