Promosa road gets patched

After almost getting involved in a severe accident due to potholes on the Promosa road, municipal worker Antonello Vertyn asked the Department of Infrastructure for materials to repair the road.“I use this road daily, and it is very unsafe,” Vertyn said.

For years, residents have complained that the road has become a safety hazard. It took several accidents before the municipality took the matter seriously.

Only in 2021 was the road temporarily closed for repairs. However, after only a few months of the road reopening, residents had to drive around massive potholes again. Considering the amount spent on repairing the road, complaints increased even further.

After Vertyn’s recent near-death experience, the Department of Infrastructure was more than willing to provide him with materials to repair the road.

“We started filling the potholes from the Indian centre right until the entrance of Promosa,” he said. Although he agrees that it is unfortunate that it had to take his experience for something to be done, he is relieved that motorists can now have safer trips on the road.

“We are determined to serve the community and ensure they are safe,” he said. “We could not fill all the potholes, but we targeted the major ones,” he concluded. Former municipal spokesperson William Maphosa previously con-firmed that the municipality had addressed critically-damaged sections from 35 Pietersen Street to 47 Bloemtjie Street – a total of 3.6 km.

The municipality’s internal budget and a contribution from OMV funded the project. The internal funds amounted to R6,991,405.75 (including Vat and professional fees). The contractor received R6,209,468.70 and the consultant, R781,937.05.

OMV supplied material to the value of R518,000 (excluding Vat). It also provided an excavator for four months, operating for an average of six hours per day. By the end of the project, the municipality had recommended regular maintenance inspections.

If problems were identified, they would be corrected immediately to prevent further deterioration as previously experienced. The Herald asked the municipality for comment following the recent repairs but had received nothing by the time of print.