The public need not be concerned about a crack on the Salta entrance road and a portion of the Umdloti mall parking lot “sinking”.

This according to Brad Winstanley, portfolio manager with property developer, the Devmco Group.

The newly-built mall opened its doors in November 2022, six months after the catastrophic April and May 2022 floods that struck mid-construction.

During the course of last year, road users began noticing a progressively widening crack on the Salta entrance road. This was followed last week by a sudden “sinking” of a small portion of the Marine Walk Mall rooftop parking area near the corporate offices and tenant parking area.

Winstanley said the crack in the road was the result of localised settlement of the earth fill below the road formation – a common occurrence in construction, but which had to be addressed.

“We have engaged with our engineers and the contractor responsible and we are following their advice, which is to wait for the settlement to cease and then remove and reinstate the road formation and subbase.

“The crack is being sealed on a continual basis to prevent water ingress into the road formation, while we wait for the settlement to stop. We expect this repair to be undertaken in the next two to three months but we have ensured every precaution has been taken for the safety of our tenants and the public at Marine Walk as their safety is a top priority for us,” said Winstanley.

However, the cause of the “sinking” in the mall rooftop parking area is still unknown.

“We are investigating the cause of this settlement at the back of the retaining wall, which is very localised. The outcome of this investigation will inform the repair methodology that is adopted to ensure this does not recur. The area has been cordoned off while the tests are being undertaken. Again, every precaution has been taken to ensure the parking areas not impacted or cordoned off are safe to use,” said Winstanley.

The Courier also asked Winstanley why the metal strips in the rooftop parking area frequently came loose and lifted up. He said it was not related to the localised settlement mentioned above.

“The areas in question are on the concrete parking deck supported by columns below. These metal strips are protection for the waterproofing on the expansion joints and they are expanding and contracting in response to hot or cold weather. They are working as designed, however the bonding agent seems to be coming loose in isolated areas. We are looking at alternative bonding agents and possible alternative solutions,” he said.

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