Glen Marais residents frustrated by prolonged road closure

Glen Marais residents have raised concerns over the continued closure of the intersection of Annemoon Street and Mulder Street, which becomes Weinberg Street towards Glen Balad Mall.

Resident Jason McBeath said the road has been closed for approximately two months, with little visible progress and no clear indication of when it will reopen.

McBeath said residents had raised the matter with ward councillor Jaco Terblanche on several occasions, who advised that the issue had been escalated to the City of Ekurhuleni.

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However, he said residents remained frustrated by the lack of updates on the project’s status and the steps being taken to resolve the delays.

“The continued closure is having a significant impact on the community. It has disrupted daily commuting, restricted access to local businesses and shopping facilities, and raised concerns about possible delays for security and emergency services,” said McBeath.

Residents understand that the closure may be linked to a housing development on Weinberg Street and have been informed that a dispute between private companies may be preventing the road from reopening.

“If this is the case, it is concerning that a dispute between private parties is resulting in ongoing inconvenience and potential safety risks for the public,” said McBeath.

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Terblanche confirmed that the delay is linked to a contractual dispute between the developer and contractor involved in the project.

According to Terblanche, JT Evolve (Pty) Ltd was appointed as the engineers overseeing the project, while Nehawu Properties Investment (Pty) Ltd is the appointed developer.

The developer received approval from the Municipality’s Roads and Stormwater Department to close the road to allow for the traffic circle upgrade and road resurfacing.

“The project had an anticipated completion time of 18 weeks. However, a financial dispute has arisen between the developer and the contractor regarding outstanding payments. On legal advice, the contractor has halted further work and has not reopened the road while this matter remains unresolved,” said Terblanche.

He explained that the municipality will only accept handover of the site once all road markings have been completed and the required road signage has been installed.

“Should the contractor reopen the road before this work is finalised, they remain liable for any damage to the road or circle, as the municipality will not have accepted formal handover,” said Terblanche.

He added that there is currently no confirmed timeframe for resolving the legal dispute between the developer and contractor.

“I will continue to monitor this matter closely and will communicate any change in status as soon as it becomes available,” said Terblanche.

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Residents are advised to continue using alternative routes until the matter is resolved.

Kempton Express sent an enquiry to the City of Ekurhuleni on July 9, requesting comment by July 13. At the time of going to print, no response had been received.