A project originally set to take a few months to complete has been causing more problems than providing relief, it seems.
Residents were first informed of the project to widen a mere 700m of Robert Broom Drive early in February 2020 and the News was informed that the project would possibly be completed by 14 September 2020. The section of the road between the entrance to Sugar Bush Estate and the T-junction with Lud Hersch Drive opposite Hobby Park would be widened to two lanes in both directions.
After lockdown the completion date was pushed forward to 30 November 2020. In December the News was told that the new completion date was February 2021.
February came and went and it seemed that there was light at the end of the 700m tunnel when the project manager informed Democratic Alliance Ward 21 councillor, Lynette du Toit that the road was to be opened to traffic on 13 April.
This was also supposed to be the date on which the street lights and the traffic signals at Sugar Bush Estate would be functional. This, however, was not the case.
Questions are now being asked about the problems seemingly brought about by the project, for example the intersection that reportedly will be constructed to be used by, among other, the drivers of Roodepoort-bound vehicles wishing to access the Noordheuwel Shopping Centre. Considering the large number of trucks that will use the same intersection-to-be to do deliveries at the shopping centre, this will also have an impact on businesses in the centre as well as the Total service station.
Another issue is with the storm water system. Mike Gonsalves, owner of the Hobby Park said they were waiting for it to be installed to determine the new location of the entrance to the park. “We will have to move a few things around,” he said.
Allegedly there were attempts to install the drainage system, but because the new pipes were significantly larger than the existing ones, they had to be removed, resulting in the huge amount of rainfall washing the exposed foundation for the pipes into the Hobby Park dams.
Lynette showed the News where the pipes are currently being installed and explained that the water is supposed to flow into the dams on the Hobby Park property and then onward through the Botanical Garden.
However, there were no signs of the large pipes being secured by any means, any catchments plans, or any erosion walls. Allegedly the construction workers also need to find a way to connect the two differently sized pipes.
Lynette appealed to road users to obey all the traffic signs and not drive on the road while it has not been opened to traffic yet.
“Ignoring traffic and delineation signs can result in injury or loss of life,” she said.
The News reached out to the Mogale City Local Municipality but has not received feedback as yet.
