La Lucia culvert upgrade welcomed
The bottom end of Armstrong Road/Ridge Road, near the traffic circle, is temporarily closed due to construction work now underway to deepen and widen the culvert to address longstanding flooding issues.
IN recent years, the bottom of Armstrong Avenue, in particular under the M4 bridge, has flooded during heavy rains.
In that time, several vehicles have been trapped under the bridge due to the sand blocking the existing stormwater culvert and causing water levels to rise.
A project aimed to stop the flooding has been initiated by the eThekwini Municipality and will see the upgrade of the stormwater culvert.
Ward 35 councillor Nicole Bollman said that due to the scope of the work being carried out, the bottom end of Armstrong Road/Ridge Road, near the traffic circle, would be temporarily closed.
“This is a much-needed project for the ward. Preliminary work started earlier this year, and construction work has now commenced. The area serves as a catchment, with water flowing from the higher-lying areas of La Lucia Ridge through the green belt area of Derivco. Landslides have also contributed to soil silting and blocking the stormwater reticulation system, exacerbating flooding issues.
“From what I understand, the plan is to deepen and widen the culvert by increasing the capacity. The construction project aims to address the longstanding flooding issues by increasing the capacity of the stormwater culvert under Armstrong Avenue. This area, being a natural floodplain, has been prone to severe flooding in the past, necessitating urgent intervention. The current work will include increasing the culverts under Armstrong Avenue to dimensions of 3m x 2m,” she explained.
The project is scheduled to end on April 26.
Bollman added that discussions are ongoing with Derivco and the municipality to effectively reduce the amount of erosion within the greenbelt area.
“Additionally, investigations are underway to enhance the system under the M4 to increase velocity, allowing silt and soil to be carried freely with the water to the ocean,” she said.
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