Comaro Chronicle reported on August 29 that residents and councillors were frustrated after resurfacing work on Rand Airport Road was abandoned midway through, leaving the road in a dangerous condition.

On October 16, the JRA explained that work had stopped due to challenges affecting its in-house asphalt production. Still, at the time, the agency expected resurfacing to resume before December, weather permitting.

In our previous publication, Kwazelela Mcetywa, head of the Department of Infrastructure Development at the JRA, said those production issues had been resolved.

“The JRA can now produce asphalt. The department will issue a traffic advisory when roadworks resume and once resurfacing is completed on Rand Airport Road,” Mcetywa said.

Latest update: January 2026

The agency has now confirmed that recent inclement weather has further delayed resurfacing.

“The recent weather conditions have impacted the JRA’s road resurfacing programme, as roadworks cannot be undertaken under wet conditions. Due to this, the project timeline for road resurfacing on Rand Airport Road has been rescheduled for early in January 2026,” Mcetywa said.

Residents voice frustration

The continued delays have reignited anger among motorists and local residents.

“I just work in the area and travel that road every day. It frustrates me that they hide behind the weather, yet they do not even have the equipment onsite to start when the weather is good.

“Do they only resurface the roads in winter? I think this is a poor excuse to do nothing. They should never have milled the road until they were ready for resurfacing in the first place,” said a motorist who asked to remain anonymous.

The ward’s residents have also questioned the JRA’s accountability.

“I don’t understand how they constantly backtrack on commitments made, and we as tax and law-abiding citizens have limited recourse to hold them to account. This is frustrating to say the least.

“Our ward councillor, Faeeza Chame, also seems to have limited influence,” said Ebrahim Kader.

Councillor reacts

Chame expressed disappointment at repeated delays.

“The JRA has broken my hopes of that road ever being fixed. The MMC promised the first week in December; it did not happen.

“I’ll take their word for it and just hope they will do it as they told you. The reality is that the city has no money to fix anything. If they do fix it, it is shoddy work which won’t last long. The city is R68b in debt. Rand Airport Road is a death trap for motorists,” Chame said.

What’s next

The JRA has committed to resuming resurfacing in January 2026, weather permitting, and promised to issue public updates and traffic advisories once work recommences.

Until then, residents must continue navigating a road marked by deep potholes, uneven surfaces, and ongoing safety hazards, highlighting the long-standing frustrations with infrastructure management in the area.

ALSO READ: JRA explains halt in Rand Airport Road resurfacing delays