The re-gravelling of 6.1km of roads within Lakeside is welcomed by members of the community who often cannot reach their own homes in wet, muddy conditions.
It will also mean that emergency services, such as police and paramedics have better access to the area.
Ward councillor, Bheka Mtshali, is hopeful that the Department of Transport will approve the paving of the roads once the re-gravelling is complete.
“The municipality had budgeted R5.1million for paving but it was not enough to complete all the roads in Lakeside. We have approached the MEC of Transport for funding that will help us complete this project. We are happy to say that the engineers have been on site to assess the complexity of the work and we are hopeful that they will assist,” said Cllr Mtshali.
Cllr Mtshali admitted that the fact that the previous contractor to work on the roads is complaining about not being paid may pose a stumbling block in the project, and complained that the failure to ensure proper storm water drainage has led to much of the existing road network in Lakeside being destroyed. Heaps of sediment from the gravel roads has washed onto completed tarred roads restricting the movement of motorists.
“The re-gravelling is expected to start this week and we are happy that people will at least have access to their houses in rainy weather,” concluded Cllr Mtshali.
