Potholes take over streets of Blairgowrie
Blairgowrie community roads have seen an increase in potholes, frustrating residents.
Residents in the leafy suburb of Blairgowrie once enjoyed quiet drives along tree-lined streets. But lately, every journey has become a frustrating obstacle course.
Potholes are now dominating nearly every road in the area. Motorists swerve endlessly from side to side, hoping to avoid deep holes that can damage tyres, suspension, and more.
For many residents, the damage is more than just inconvenience. From Mackay Avenue to Geneva Road and up on Bantam Drive, the damage is even worse. Bantam Drive is heavily affected by the underground water that is constantly running down the road.
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The road is covered by holes and is a nightmare to drive on. Blairgowrie Community Association (BCA) co-director Harold Flieshman said that the issue has been reported to Joburg Roads Agency (JRA).
“There are many roads that are in a worse state. Bantam is heavily impacted by water, but the two entities [Joburg Water and JRA] involved do not talk.”
BCA will continue raising concerns and pleading for urgent road maintenance before conditions worsen further.
Ward 102 councillor Bea Campbell-Cloete said that the pothole situation in Ward 102 is extremely bad.
“Residents are bearing the brunt of burst tyres and bent rims. More often than not, small potholes are left to become craters. This is not acceptable.”
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She added that during a meeting with the entities this week, JRA explained the current constraints they are experiencing. However, this is something that has to be addressed in-house and not become a problem for residents.
“Over the last couple of days, we have seen an increase in teams on the ground filling potholes. I want to urge residents to report their potholes again, and to escalate this to their ward councillors so we can have these potholes fixed as soon as possible before we run out of asphalt again.”
Questions were sent to JRA, and their response will be published once made available.
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