Hendrik Potgieter Road is closed until further notice between Johan and Zandvliet roads in Little Falls, West Rand, due to structural damage caused by storms over the last two weeks. Photo: Nigel Sibanda
Gauteng MEC for Transport and Logistics Kedibone Diale-Tlabela on Wednesday estimated it will take eight months to fix the collapsed Hendrick Potgieter Road in Roodepoort, Johannesburg.
The MEC conducted an inspection at the road on Tuesday, joined by contractors and engineers, who provided an update on the extent of the damage as well as the repair work that will take place.
“We plead with communities to bear with us. Engineers advised us that it will take six to eight months to fix and we will be closing part of this road for that period,” said Diale-Tlabela.
A section of the road caved in on Tuesday after heavy rain over previous days led to infrastructure and homes being damaged.
Several roads have been damaged and swept away in the province. The MEC said they will work with the engineers to prepare the road networks for future natural disasters.
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She said the government is exploring strategies on developing adequate stormwater drainage systems and fixing many of those that are blocked.
However, she emphasised that different spheres of government are responsible for different road networks.
“We have our own provincial roads, we are working hard to deal with challenges of the stormwater drainage. We have appointed what we call RIFSA 1, RIFSA 2 contractors that are responsible for all the five regions to ensure road maintenance,” added Diale-Tlabela.
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