Ward 134 councillor Devon Steenkamp welcomed the Johannesburg Roads Agency’s (JRA) R15m Road Resurfacing Project, with the majority of work concentrating in wards 101 and 134.

The project will include sections of CR Swart Drive, Elnita and Puttick avenues, and Taurus and Vermooten roads.

Read more: Ward 98 residents endure days without water

Assessments identified by JRA:

• Puttick Avenue: Severe edge breaks and widespread patching failures, with scattered block cracking
• Elnita Avenue: Patching failures, block cracks, and longitudinal cracking
• CR Swart Drive: Patching failures and potholes
• Vermooten Road: Edge breaks and potholes.

The work from the entity will include crack sealing, resurfacing repairs, road markings, signage and installation of reflective plates. This project is part of essential road maintenance aimed at improving safety, extending the road’s lifespan, and addressing long-standing surface failures that affect residents and road users in the area.

JRA head of infrastructure development, Kwazelela Mcetywa, said, “Planning for the project has been completed. The scope of works has been finalised, the contractor has been appointed, and arrangements for site establishment are in place. The project aims to improve road surface conditions, enhance road safety, and extend the service life of the affected roads through appropriate resurfacing interventions.”

Although Steenkamp welcomes the project, he said that he remains cautious as residents have lived with failing road infrastructure for a long time.

Also read: Ward 98 residents high and dry as reservoirs run out of water

“These specific roads have been raised repeatedly through my office and formally submitted during multiple Integrated Development Plan cycles over several years.
Also, JRA’s past performance gives residents reason to be sceptical.”

He added that they have seen plans announced before, only for projects to be delayed, scaled back, or poorly executed, and this project will be judged based on delivery and quality of workmanship.

“I am also concerned that there is still no provision for stormwater upgrades on these roads. At a public meeting with JRA, officials confirmed that no budget had been allocated for stormwater interventions and advised that the matter would continue through the Integrated Development Plan process. Without addressing stormwater, resurfacing alone risks being a short-term fix, as water remains one of the primary causes of road failure.”

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