JRA launches infrastructure upgrade project in Vorna Valley
This project will be undertaken for over five months and is set to provide employment opportunities to 15 general workers under the Extended Public Works Programme.
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has embarked on two projects involving upgrading road and stormwater infrastructure in Vorna Valley and Klipfontein View.
The projects are set to improve the quality of the road network and mitigate the erosion and flooding of properties within the 1:100-year flood line.
The MMC for Transport councillor Funzi Ngobeni opened these projects with two sod-turning events on December 7 and welcomed them as an indication of significant headway in addressing localised flooding.
“With the current extreme climatic conditions, including heavy rainfall, JRA’s management of the City’s stormwater is critical to reduce the impact of flooding on our roads and to protect the lives of our residents, especially the most vulnerable who live alongside rivers.
“Consequently, in line with our commitment to creating a safe and secure City, over R206m has been allocated within this financial year to stormwater projects city-wide. This includes implementing new stormwater drains in previously neglected areas, rehabilitating aging stormwater infrastructure, and converting open stormwater drains to underground stormwater systems, to prevent community members from being swept away by high waters during flooding,” said Ngobeni.
In Region A’s Vorna Valley, the three-phased rehabilitation of a wetland located between Allandale Road and Harry Galaun Drive entered its second phase in October this year.
The first phase, completed in the 2021/22 financial year, addressed erosions in the pre-existing channel through the installation of gabion baskets and the construction of erosion holes between Le Roux Avenue and Harry Galaun Drive.
This mitigated further erosion, water seepages, and potential flooding into properties in the developing areas.
In this phase, water energy breakers and siltation traps will be constructed on Allandale Road and Harry Gaulan Drive, as well as Harry Galaun Drive and Le Roux Avenue respectively.
The water energy breakers and siltation traps will alleviate flooding. This phase will be undertaken over five months and is set to provide employment opportunities to 15 general workers under the Extended Public Works Programme.
JRA Acting CEO Louis Nel confirmed that construction works commenced in mid-October this year and are anticipated to be completed by June next year.
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