WHILE the overriding feeling over the repair to Kew Road in Kenville is one of relief, there is a creeping concern that the road may once again collapse due to a myriad of factors.

Residents have questioned why the bank alongside the road has not been reinforced with gabion baskets when it was resurfaced, and they have noticed a crack in the foundation of the newly laid tar.

In 2021, Northglen News reported that a section of the residential road had collapsed, and fault-line cracks had appeared along the middle of the road.

A year later, the road condition worsened, and the collapse widened all the way to the pavement, edging closer to residents’ properties.

While repairs began earlier this year, there is still concern over heavy-duty vehicles still using the residential road, which many residents feel was a contributing factor to its collapse.

Kew Road resident Patrick Bhudram said the most pressing issue was the bank reinforcement.

“We still have heavy-duty vehicles using this road on a daily basis. Many of the roads in the Kenville area were not built for this specific purpose, and I fear we may soon be back to square one with the issues we face. The bank alongside the newly repaired road needs to be reinforced, as already with the rains, I’ve noticed the bank begin to move. The last collapse ended on the pavement outside our homes, and our worry is this could potentially happen again because the work carried out has not been done properly,” he said.

Ward 34 councillor Bobby Maharajh has urged motorists to be wary when driving on the newly repaired section of the road.

“I concur that the slope on the side of the road that hasn’t been reinforced is a major concern. I’m also not sure how long the road surface will last with the trucks using this road. We’ve also noticed a thin crack in the tarmac next to the bank. With the rainy season approaching, I fear if the bank is not reinforced, we could be looking at additional compromises of the structural integrity of the road,” he said.