Why do Kew’s potholes keep returning?
Johannesburg Roads Agency has identified several factors behind recurring road damage at 10th Road and 4th Avenue, with bollards and drain maintenance planned before another round of pothole repairs.
Patching potholes has not put an end to the recurring road damage at the corner of 10th Road and 4th Avenue in Kew.
Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) is attributing the deterioration of the road to the damaged storm water drains, with JRA regional operations acting head Mpho Maruping confirming, on October 21, that the agency had inspected the intersection after Ward 81 community activist Theo Lengwati raised concerns about two blocked storm water drains not far from where the potholes have resurfaced.
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According to JRA, heavy trucks driving over storm water drain covers, litter accumulating in drains and grey water flowing onto the road are contributing to the deterioration of the road surface.
“JRA is installing bollards at affected kerb inlets to prevent trucks from driving over and damaging the covers,” Maruping said. “Once the bollards are in place, the agency will unblock the affected drains, replace damaged kerb inlet tops and deploy a road maintenance team to repair the potholes.”
The intervention comes after potholes resurfaced eight months after the agency completed repairs at the intersection, renewing concerns about whether previous work had addressed the underlying problems.
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During a site visit with the Sandton Chronicle on October 16, Lengwati pointed out two storm water drains further up the hill that were completely blocked. He believes water rushing downhill during rainfall, combined with the constant flow of traffic through the busy intersection, is contributing to the repeated damage.
Lengwati called on the roads agency to address the drainage issues before undertaking further road repairs, arguing that resurfacing the damaged sections without tackling the cause would leave motorists facing the same problem again.
JRA previously indicated that no drainage issues had been identified at the location and attributed the potholes to the road reaching the end of its design life and the impact of heavy rainfall. Maruping has since clarified that no storm water drains were blocked during the January assessment. However, he said several factors have contributed to recurring blockages since then.
“Furthermore, the continuous flow of grey water along the road towards the intersection of 4th Avenue and 10th Road has caused damage to the rehabilitated road section, compromising the condition of the rehabilitated area.”
Maruping said installing bollards would help protect the storm water infrastructure from further truck damage and reduce the need for repeated maintenance.
He added that JRA will proceed with clearing the affected drains and replacing damaged covers. Once the bollard installation is complete, road repairs will follow.
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