JRA remains mum on Dennis Road’s infrastructure woes
Despite numerous appeals from residents and Ward 93 councillor Vino Reddy, JRA has failed to respond or take action to address the issue for years.
Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has remained mum on the predicament of Dennis Road, a stretch of asphalt riddled with potholes so deep they become mini swimming pools during rainfall.
The road’s woes don’t stop there. It also lacks a stormwater drainage system, leaving residents on the lower-lying areas to deal with frequent flooding during wet weather.
In desperation, some residents, like Mark Macky, have taken matters into their own hands, installing curbing to redirect water and mitigate the damage at their own cost.
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Despite the obvious need for repairs and improvements to the crumbling infrastructure, the road agency’s silence is strikingly apparent.
Ward 93 councillor Vino Reddy has reached out on numerous occasions, submitting appeals for action. Fourways Review also compiled a list of questions, directed to JRA’s media spokesperson Bertha Perters-Scheepers, five weeks ago, with multiple follow-ups, yet nothing came of it.
Are they simply incapable of solving this problem, or is it just another case of bureaucratic indifference?
“There’s a real danger of damage to vehicles, including many taxis which use these streets with the risk of accidents,” said resident Neil Mackay. “Due to the nonexistent drainage, rainwater has damaged properties lower down Dennis Road.
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“Without suitable sidewalk paving, pedestrians are also at risk of injury.”
Mackay pointed out several issues on Dennis Road, between Turley and Cheyney roads, as well as on Turley, from the end of the Ravenshill complex, to Cheyney. One major concern is the neglected road construction and foundation, which resembles a village strip road. This road has a minimal tar surface and is over 40 years old, according to Mackay.
He said it was originally designed to accommodate a limited number of residences and small plots, where traffic was minimal and rainwater runoff from Dennis Road would soak into the adjacent grassy areas.
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“Secondly, there is no storm water drainage system to properly dispose of the water, with kerbstones to direct water into runoff receptacles, and then into below surface drainage pipes. Thirdly, there is only limited paving for the safely of pedestrians – being residents, carers, security personnel, and dog walkers from nearby homes.”
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