A ROAD collapse on Seaview Road has worsened and has become a space for illegal dumping.

Plastic road barriers put in place by the eThekwini Municipality have either been pushed into the hole in the road or blown in by strong winds.

Sections of the road collapsed after heavy rains in October, affecting a stormwater pipe and resulting in the closure of the road.

However, at the beginning of this year that section was reopened to allow vehicles to pass through one lane.

Resident Judy Bol, who lives close to the collapsed section, said she is growing concerned that no action to reinstate the road has taken place.

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“It has just gotten worse over time to a point where the road collapse has widened. More of the soil underneath the road has eroded to the point where there is no support under the tarmac. I can actually fit one of my hands into the crack on the road. With one lane now being used by heavy duty vehicles, including scholar transport on an almost daily basis, I’m afraid that there could be a serious accident and at worse, result in a fatality.

“The collapsed section has now also seen an increase in illegal dumping. From garden refuse to building rubble, people are just disposing of things illegally. I witnessed a man, with his family in the car, stop next to the collapse, and throw several bags of garden refuse inside. I’m disappointed that no repair or work has been carried out to reinstate the road. The edge is crumbling more and more each day and if no action is taken, by the rainy season in October we could face a catastrophic collapse,” she said.

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Bol also suggested the City look at installing gabion baskets as a means to secure the bank when repairs take place.

Ward 65 councillor Samantha Windvogel allayed residents’ fears, saying funding to reinstate the road is available.

“The hold-up in the repair and reinstatement is due to the eThekwini Municipality needing permission to work on private property in a plot of land below the collapse. I have put out a message on our chat groups asking for assistance in tracing the owners. The funding is available for the repair, it is just a matter of getting permission to access the property,” she said.

At the time of publishing there was no comment from the eThekwini Municipality on when the repairs would take place.

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